The Binded Book
by Sisi427
Summary: Nanami and Tomoe have some personal issues to work out. There is obviously some form of attraction between them, but will Tomoe be able to confess his feelings and find a solution? This story looks into the mental/emotional aspect of their relationship, and also is an action/drama, with a bit of humor. **Updated for grammar corrections**
1. Chapter 1

"Nanami!" Mizuki called as he knocked on the door of the shrine. Nanami told him that Tomoe had left her at the shrine for a couple hours, and begged him to come visit her while he was away. She had claimed there was something she needed to talk to him about in private; maybe to seek some advice from him, but had not told him what the issue was.

As he raised his hand to knock again, the door was opened and she greeted him with a warm smile.

"Hi! I'm glad you came, you made it here quickly!" she commented  
"Please come in, I've made some tea."

Mizuki nodded and smiled back. Something seemed different, possibly even wrong.

Nanami motioned to the pillows on the floor and brought out a tea kettle and two cups. She began to pour some of the warm golden liquid into his cup, and he did the same for her.

She raised her glass saying "Cheers" as she did so and began to sip. 'What an odd motion' Mizuki thought raising his glass in return and proceeding to taste the tea.

He almost spit the liquid back into the cup surprised to taste a combination of wine and vodka. "This is sake!" he spurted out staring at Nanami with a dumb founded expression.

She laughed, "Yes, it is. Tomoe keeps some in a cabinet he thinks I don't know about! I didn't think you would come if i had blurted 'Come talk to me, and drink all of Tomoe's sake' over the phone"

He joined in the laughing, and asked "So... What's wrong, I can tell your upset."

Nanami got quiet and stared into her cup. "well..." She hesitated. She knew she had nobody else to talk to, so she might as well spit it out.

"Last night, I did something stupid."  
"Hmm?" Mizuki's smile disappeared and he placed his cup on the table gazing intently at Nanami.  
"I... I told Tomoe I love him..." She blushed a deep shade of red, and dropped her head closing her eyes to stifle the tears. Waiting for him to scold her or laugh at her for being so foolish.  
"What happened?" His voice was soft and compassionate, not mocking at all.  
"Well... He dropped me off the side of a building. So I'm pretty sure that's rejection."  
"He did WHAT?" Mizuki jumped to his feet, angry. "How are you still alive?"  
"Maybe I should have rephrased that. He didn't intentionally drop me. Well I don't think he did, but he was holding me over the side to "Cool me off" and his hand slipped. He saved me, but I just don't know what to do... Or say. I can't even look at him straight."  
Mizuki sat back down, pouring her another cup full. "Hey, have you ever even had a drink before?"

"No."

Her answer hung in the air. She wondered why he had not offered any advice, or told her how stupid she was. They continued to drink in silence for the next half hour. Nanami's head began to swirl, though she could not decide if it was out of stress, the relief from talking to Mizuki or if she was just drunk.  
"Nanami" Mizuki broke the silence beginning to crawl towards her around the table.  
"If he doesn't want you, I'll gladly take his place..."  
She stared at him too dizzy to move. Not knowing what to expect as he approached her. His hand touched her shoulder and she gazed into his eyes scared, yet comforted at the same time. He pinned her down to the floor, lowering himself to her lips only inches from her face.

"I want you Nanami. Let me be your familiar, let me have your heart."

She did not respond. Her heart pounded within her chest. She closed her eyes and looked away. "Mizuki! What are you doing? Stop! I can't move!" Regaining her strength, she tried to wiggle out from under him.  
"So you're going to reject me now?" He stared at her, thinking of how he wanted her, and that maybe he'd had too much to drink. Glancing at the empty bottle of sake Nanami had placed beside her.

"Nanami... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to scare you. It just hurts to-"

Neither of them heard Tomoe enter the shrine. The first thing Tomoe saw as he entered the shrine was that snake perched above his master forcing himself onto her, and the earth deity looking away clearly not wanting whatever this was to happen. Believe me that was all he needed to see.

"SNAKE!"

They both turned to look at Tomoe glaring from the other side of the table  
"Tomoe!" they cried in unison, too stunned to move.  
"What do you think you are doing to my master?" Tomoe snatched Mizuki by the collar and proceeded to drag him from the shrine, slamming the door behind himself as Mizuki shouted that it wasn't what it looked like.  
Tomoe approached Nanami who had not moved from her spot on the ground.  
"Baka! Why would you let him in here?"  
"To talk." She stated rolling onto her side so her back was facing him.

He reached to pick her up, but hesitated remembering her command from the previous night "Don't touch me!" She had yelled. Shifting his gaze, he saw the empty sake bottle. "Did you two drink this whole bottle?" He asked. Nanami began to raise herself from the floor wobbling as she attempted to steady herself.  
"Here, Nanami. Let's get you to bed." gesturing towards her room Tomoe reached out as if to guide her without touching her.  
'NO!" she shouted; clenching her fists, and stepping back. "I can take care of myself."  
Puzzled he studied her face. She did not look mad, or upset. Her face held no expression whatsoever.  
"Nanami... You're drunk, please just-"  
"Tomoe. I'm fine... Really." Staring at the ground, she began to stagger her way to the porch. The sun had set and it was beginning to cool off. Tomoe watched her as she walked away.


	2. Chapter 2

The cool night air was soothing, as it seemed to cling to her hot skin. Nanami gazed dreamily up into the stars, pondering what it would be like to be one of them. The door opened behind her, and she heard footsteps approach her. Tomoe seated himself beside her, and stared into the sky wondering what she was focusing so intently on.

"What do you want, Tomoe?" The land deity quietly asked not bothering to look at him.  
"Nanami..." he started "Is there something that you wish to tell me?"  
She uttered a soft sob mixed with a dry chuckle. "No. Not at all. What could I possibly say that I haven't already?"  
Tomoe just watched the stars as she spoke. "Then why won't you look at me?"  
Nanami inhaled a sharp breath, and did not speak. Hot tears began to stream from her eyes and she hung her head.  
"Nanami..." Tomoe reached for her, stopping his hand only inches from her face.

She raised her head looking straight up into the sky as thunder sounded in the distance. The moon illuminated her features with a bright light, and for a split second, Tomoe could not help but realize how cute she looked, even when she was crying. Her face was relaxed and she was lost in thought.

"It's fine Tomoe. Really. You can touch me, it's not like you'll do anything. I should have known better. So don't worry about me." her face was flushed from the alcohol, and she forced a smile.  
He placed a hand on her shoulder. Dark clouds covered the light of the moon and her profile was lost in the darkness as rain began to pour down, washing away her tears.

"Well, I don't know what you expected Nanami. I told you how I feel about humans, and demons being together." With that, he rose to his feet and began to walk away.  
Those words were uncalled for and stung Nanami's heart, as if to add insult to injury. His voice was not harsh, but it still seemed as if he was rubbing the rejection in her face. She stood up and spun around in his direction, following him into the house.

"You really are a worthless land deity. You're just a human girl, who can't control her own emotions."

She froze in place. Hating his words. Hating everything about him in that moment, and hating herself for still wanting him to love her. Her drunken mind began to wander, and soon she was overcome with thoughts of him gently caressing her face, and kissing her lips. Thoughts of their bodies intertwined, and even commanding him to do as she pleased. She knew he would hate her for the rest of their lives. She began to follow him again, silently indulging in the dangerous fantasies. (At least as silently as she could in her drunken stupor.) When he reached his room he noticed she was still following him. "What is it Baka?" He asked in a stubborn tone of voice.

"Tomoe... Why would you keep hurting me? Why do you keep insulting me, as if it isn't enough? When I am already like this..." He stared at her wide-eyed. She was not crying. She wasn't doing anything just standing behind him staring at the floor boards.  
"Nanami..." he murmured, and turned to face her.

"It's enough to know that you don't want me. That you won't even try to... But... You won't even let me get over this without bothering me." She grabbed his collar, pulling him close to herself, as if she would drown if she were to let go of him. Wondering what to do, and if he should control himself, Tomoe studied the girl. He wanted to calm her down badly. He wanted to kiss her lips and tell her that it was not that he did not want her. That he was her familiar and it was improper for them to be together.  
"Nanami..." he began to walk her backwards into the wall, placing a hand on her shoulder.  
"Do not think that I dislike you." He whispered into her ear, using his free hand to raise her chin, and gaze into her eyes.  
Nanami stared back at him, her brown eyes captivated by his violet eyes. _'His eyes are so inhuman, just intoxicating' _she thought to herself. She loosened her grip on his robes, and allowed her hand to slip inside, caressing his chest while blushing a deep scarlet. Tomoe looked away to hide the red tint beginning to engulf his own cheeks. "What are you doing Nanami?"

She did not stop, she pulled him closer and began to rub his body softly, undoing his robe with her free hand.  
"Nanami, you need to stop..." Tomoe could not believe what she was doing. He was torn between emotions. Thinking _'This is wrong'_ and how he did not want to hurt her. In addition, the fact that he truly wanted her but right now her judgment was impaired. She removed the upper half of his robes, unable to contain her desires any longer. Her hands hungrily searched his body and she began to kiss his lean muscles, holding him close to her. "Nanami. This is wrong. We can't do this!" Tomoe began to protest.

She reached up and captured his lips pulling him closer by his hair. She moved her hand up to stroke his soft ears, whispering the magic laced commandment "Don't stop me" into his lips.

He lost control of himself. Holding onto her, as he traced his hand up her body and over her bra she moaned into his lips. He began to suck on her lips and nibble her neck, making her gasp and moan in pleasure. Their tongues mingled and played together, and the sharp taste of sake lingered on her lips. He picked her up carrying her to his futon. _'She's so innocent, but she is doing a good job of turning me on'_ he thought. They began to snatch clothes off each other. While their hands explored every inch of the other's body excluding their most intimate parts.

Nanami looked up at Tomoe who had assumed position above her and suddenly became embarrassed. 'What am I making him do?' she thought to herself. 'Is he really just trying to make me feel better? Is this all out of pity?'

Tomoe had lost all control of himself. They were both on the bed with nothing but underwear on, and it was all he could to keep from tearing hers off and take her body as his. His nails were dug into the bed, and he allowed then to roam freely over her smooth skin while kissing her chest and teasing her breasts with his tongue. "Tomoe..." Nanami gasped in between moans. She was overcome by the sensation of his tongue on her body, and his teeth scraping against her nipples. He could not stop himself, and began to reach for her panties, slipping a thumb underneath them.  
She placed a hand on his chest in between them to stop him. "Wait..."

"Hmm?" Snapped out of his daze he stared own at her fragile body, realizing just how far this had gone. There were small scratches from his nails, and teeth that had caused tiny dribbles of blood to surface on random places of her skin.  
"Nanami... Are you okay? I'm sorry I didn't mean to be so rough with you. This is what you wanted isn't it?"  
"I- I don't want to make you do this. Just because I like you, and... I can't control myself. It doesn't mean that you have to... You don't have to force yourself to make me happy..." she squeezed herself from underneath him, grabbed her clothes and ran into her room.  
"Wait! Nanami!" he called, watching her run away. 'Maybe it's for the best.'  
He rolled over onto his futon deep in thought. _'It almost just got out of hand.'_


	3. Chapter 3

In her room, Nanami was perched against the wall beside the door. Her heart was beating rapidly, and she felt as though her head would burst from all of the thoughts and emotions rampaging in her mind. 'Did that really just happen?' She was positive it had, and it was all her fault! 'How am i going to face Tomoe now? Knowing what I just did to him!' she slid down the wall trying to figure what she should do now. As she was lost in her thoughts, something caught her eye. Underneath the table was a book. _'That's strange. I don't recall leaving that there.'_ she made her way across the room and retrieved the item of interest studying the cover. It was made of a thick leather bound by a simple ribbon. Both the cover and the pages it contained appeared to be empty. She began to cough and sneeze due to the dust that had built up over the years. _'I wonder how old this thing is?' _She laid in her bed (Almost fell), still thinking of the events that had taken place just moments ago. "Ohh, what should I do?" she sighed under her breath, when she had an idea. 'Most girls my age have some form of a diary.' She stared at the old book wondering if it was a good idea to write her innermost thoughts down. _'If I hide it well, I won't have to worry about anybody finding it, and keeping track of everything may help me find solutions to my issues'_ So she began to write down everything she could possibly think of until she couldn't write anymore, and drifted to sleep.

* * *

A few weeks had passed since then, and a lot had transpired, although not between Tomoe and Nanami. Tomoe had been fox-napped, and Mizuki had helped Nanami 'rescue' him, although he had seemed to be doing fine on his own when she got there. Mizuki had also stolen a kiss from her lips whilst she was passed out, forming a familiar contract with her.

Things had become livelier around the shrine, due to Mizuki's presence, and he was always in a cheerful mood. Which helped because Tomoe and Nanami had hardly exchanged a word since _that_ night. Mizuki had a wonderful talent for making delicious sake, so every few nights they would get together and drink, laughing at things that had transpired, and enjoying each other's company. Tomoe on the other hand would just nag them about how Nanami should not be drinking at her age, and Mizuki needed to find better things to do. When he would enter the room, they always fell silent and nodded in unison, to encourage him to leave the room quickly. Once he exited the room, they would continue giggling and talking. This night seemed to be different though.

Nanami and Mizuki sat on the porch in the middle of a storm, the fresh damp air surrounded them, and they quietly discussed the day's events. Apparently, Tomoe had tried to teach Mizuki to cook... It did not help. They fell silent as the door slid open behind them, and Tomoe approached them. He gracefully seated himself beside Nanami opposite of Mizuki.

"Pour me a cup, snake" Was all he said.  
"Really, Tomoe?" Mizuki beamed while grabbing the wooden ladle and the extra cup Tomoe had brought out with him. Tomoe just glared at Mizuki as he gushed about how excited he was that he had decided to join them. As he began to sip his warm cup of sake, Mizuki and Nanami had begun to chatter in the background. His ears twitched as he heard a name that he was not very fond of.

"I wonder what Karuma is up to these days?" Nanami placed a finger to her chin as if to speculate where he has been. "I haven't seen him in school lately, must be busy with his music."

"Ohh, so is that who you've set your eyes on now, Nanami-chan?" Mizuki teased placing his hands on his cheeks twisting his body back and forth.  
"And why would you even care what that tengu is doing?" Tomoe scowled  
"Relax," Nanami gently waved her arm in his direction "I'm just curious, he's been absent for a week now."  
"Is somebody jealous?" Mizuki narrowed his eyes at Tomoe.  
"Not at all, It's our job to keep Nanami-sama safe, is it not?"  
Mizuki smiled and wrapped his arm around Nanami's shoulders. "Well I'm sure you wouldn't mind if I did this..." he leaned in and kissed Nanami's cheek making her blush a bright shade of pink. "Mizuki!" She cried out laughing nervously.  
Tomoe stood straight up as if he was intent on attacking Mizuki, but he soon untensed his muscles and just walked back inside the shrine, as Nanami and Mizuki stared in awe.  
"You really shouldn't tease him like that Mizuki!" Nanami quietly scolded.  
Mizuki just smiled "So you really like him, huh? Well I have an idea" He smiled at Nanami, and she knew exactly what he was thinking.


	4. Chapter 4

The sunlight illuminated Nanami's face as she gazed out of the window staring at the large tree as it fluttered in the gentle breeze. "Eh?" she jerked out of her dreamy state as she was hit in the head with something light. Her eyes fell to the floor and she saw a crumpled ball of paper.  
"I've been trying to get your attention for while now! You need to pay attention to the teacher or you won't be able to pass this next test." Mizuki smiled at her.  
"Sorry..." she mumbled. She was too occupied with her thoughts, it was impossible to keep her mind from wandering. Turning she observed that Karuma was seated at his desk, and remembered the idea that Mizuki had a few nights before.

As class ended, she approached Karuma. "Hey, you!" She smiled awkwardly reaching her hand up and behind her, as if to scratch her head.  
"Nanami!" he beamed "To what do I owe this pleasure?" he placed a hand on his desk and leaned forward into her face. "Umm, I was just thinking..." She started "Do you want to get some ice cream after school? You haven't been to class for some time now, so I figured we could catch up." She had leaned back as if keep a distance between them, while Karuma flashed a cocky smile at her.  
"So you've finally succumb to my charming personality. I will accept your invitation." He grabbed his bag and started towards the door.  
"One second, let me grab my bag!" Nanami hastily walked to her desk to grab her books. Mizuki had been waiting patiently by for her to return. "So?" His voice was laced with excitement.

"We're going to go out for ice cream." She stated with a small smile. "The plan is on track..." she whispered. "Now go back to the shrine. You know what to say." She began towards Karuma who was waiting at the door, with an annoyed expression on his face. "And Mizuki... Thank you!" A wide smile spread across her face and she ran over to Karuma, thanking him for waiting, and they left the school together.

Mizuki headed to the shrine _'If this is the most I can do to make Nanami see that I care for her more than Tomoe, so be it. I can't wait to see his reaction. This is going to be good.'_

* * *

At the ice cream parlor Karuma paid for both of their bowls of ice cream.  
"So..." He smirked, "It's always nice to know that you're thinking of me while I'm away. Did you ask me here to finally confess your love? Or maybe you need a favor?"

"No, no! It's nothing like that!" Nanami laughed nervously. "I just wanted to see how you were doing. It's been a while, and it's always nice to catch up!" Nanami ate a scoopful of raspberry ice cream, staring at the table and waiting for the plan to unfold.

"Nanami is WHERE?" Tomoe fiercely bellowed his voice ascending to a murderous falsetto, he began to talk so quickly Mizuki could not understand a single word, but he knew he had been insulted in various ways. Tomoe's veins began to bulge out of his neck, and Mizuki could barely keep himself from laughing at the various shades of purple that engulfed his face. Tomoe stormed out of the room, and into town._ 'How could he let her go out with that tengu alone?!'_ He stormed down the street, and peered into the window of the shop. Nanami was staring at a bowl of pink ice cream, and speaking with a smile on her face. Karuma interrupted her, and the two of them burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. In Tomoe vision, this is _flirting_. His heart dropped into the pit of his stomach at the sight of the two enjoying each other's company, and he decided to watch them from a distance instead of barging in and yelling at them. This way he could find out exactly what they were doing. He found a building to perch atop, and continued to stare at the two, his eyes narrowing with contempt.

_'If that girl thinks she can get away with this, she is WRONG.'_

* * *

"Hmm?" Nanami gazed out of the window. She thought she had seen somebody with white hair, but it must have been her imagination. _'I'm trying too hard._' Nanami thought to herself as Karuma continued to talk about... Well whatever he was talking about. She didn't care. Karuma began to laugh so she joined in saying "You're so funny!" after the laughing had ceased she looked at him, and wondered _'What am I even doing here? Tomoe didn't even come'_  
"Well I've had a great time, but I need to get some work done around the shrine. We are supposed to be preparing for a festival, and I slacked off today." Karuma stared at her for a moment and smiled, "Well I don't blame you for wanting to spend time with me instead of working around that shabby little shrine Nanami."

"Hey! It's not shabby at all! Tomoe puts so much effort into cleaning it everyday..."  
Karuma laughed, "Of course, I'm just kidding"  
Nanami crossed her arms, and rose to her feet, and Karuma did the same. As they approached the door, he grabbed her arm "Nanami, I wouldn't mind doing this again sometime."  
"Doing what?" She asked with a dumbfounded expression.  
"Going on another date!" He smirked  
Nanami's face fell, "This isn't a date! I told you I just wanted to catch up!"

"Sure. Whatever you say, but seeing as to how you didn't bring that fox with you the situation suggests otherwise." He pulled a rose out of the vase sitting on the table, presenting it to Nanami, and her face began to burn. "T- Thank you." Nanami could only stare at the floor wondering how this turned into a date. When Mizuki thought up this plan, he had not considered the fact that this would happen.

He grabbed her hand opening the door , and the bell rang as they began to exit. "I _am_ surprised that you didn't bring that nuisance with you-" As the door shut, Karuma fell silent. "Oh, there he is."

Staring straight at them was Tomoe. Silhouetted in sunlight. The tips of his hair were illuminated, and his face fell dark at the sight of their hands clasped together. Nanami could not make out his expression, but she was sure it wasn't a smile.


	5. Chapter 5

"Tomoe!" Nanami had planned this but it had not gone right at all. He had not come into the shop to "save" her. He had not even interfered at all. She felt as though she had been caught. She did not feel any better holding a rose in her hand. She quickly snatched her hand away from Karuma, and her head hung in shame.

"So this is where you've been, Nanami." Tomoe looked straight through her, and flashed an unfriendly smile at the pair. "Even if you know everything up to step 9, it is time to practice your dance now. Please come with me."

She nodded, and turned to Karuma, thinking _'I've got to pull it together! He's not acting too angry... Yet. So I need to act like there's a reason for me to be here.'_ "Well, thank you for bringing me out Karuma! I had fun!" She flashed him a tense smile and waved with her free hand. "Uh... Yeah Nanami, no problem." Karuma scratched his head and began to get into his car as Tomoe and Nanami turned towards the shrine. "Nanami, I could give _you_ a ride back to the shrine, after all that is the proper thing to do after a _date_." Nanami's eyes widened and her mind blanked. Tomoe beat her to the response. "She doesn't need a ride from the likes of _you_!" he snapped. Karuma laughed, "Well I guess I'll see you later babe" After that comment he proceeded to drive off.

'**_Babe_**?' Nanami and Tomoe thought in unison, but nobody said a word.

"Thank you for coming to walk me home, Tomoe." Nanami could not think of anything else to say to him. They walked in an awkward silence for a moment, until Tomoe came to an abrupt stop. "So it's true?"

She stared at him, unsure what the question was, or how to answer him. "Come on, why are you so quiet now Nanami-_chan?_ You were so talkative just a few minutes ago." He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Tomoe, it wasn't a date. I was just catching up with him." She stared at the rose in her hand. "Oh yeah? Then why did you agree to come here with him? You could have caught up at school, or over the phone, and what was with the whole _'babe'_ thing?" He did not shift his gaze, and his eyes seemed to pierce her body. "If it wasn't a date, I guess you don't need this unsightly thing." he took the rose from her and threw it on top of a building. "It was filled with insects..." Nanami just stared at him with a flustered expression. 'That was a lame excuse.'

"Ok, let's go home Nanami." He began to walk away. Nanami could not move her legs. She had to tell him the truth. "I only went out with him so you would come get me." Tomoe stopped in his tracks his back to her. "I just wanted to know that you still care." She began to walk to his side, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you for coming." She blushed and they continued to the shrine.

Tomoe did not know if he should believe her, but it did make more sense than Mizuki just leaving her alone. As they neared the shrine, Tomoe gently linked one of his fingers with hers. She couldn't stop the spreading smile from curling her lips."This time, I'd like to practice the dance in the Miko robe that we found. Tomoe, will you help me put it on again?" Nanami raised her eyes to meet Tomoe's as they approached the shrine. "As you wish. Just be careful not to ruin it."

* * *

Back at the shrine, Nanami entered her room grabbing her diary. She flipped through the pages, finding that she had already filled about 10 sheets with her feelings and the events that had taken place with Tomoe and Mizuki. She had even written a little about her childhood. 'I'd better hurry and change my clothes before Tomoe notices.' In her drawer there was a shopping bag filled with some items she had decided to pick up for this sort of occasion. She quickly applied some sandalwood lotion, and slipped into something she thought he would like. _'Now I just have to figure out how to sneak into the shed with just this on.'_

Peering out of her room, she saw a small bucket of Mizuki's sake. _'That ought to help me relax'_ She tip toed out of her room making sure the coast was clear, and drank one small cup full. As she turned into the direction of the storage room, she heard footsteps coupled with an argument approaching her, causing her to turn around and try to quickly slip back to the room.

"Nanami?" Tomoe and Mizuki stared at her, both of them red in the face  
"Ah! Don't look! Don't look! I'm just- Umm. I thought my shoe was in here and I-"  
"Where are your clothes?" They asked in unison quickly turning their backs.  
"Umm well, you see-" she made a run for the room. It was obviously impossible to get to the shed like this. Gods can make the impossible happen, right?

"Hey, will you two go to the kitchen and see if there are some potato chips please?" She internally laughed. Nobody in this house eats potato chips. Tomoe cooks! Her familiars both muttered a yes, and headed for the kitchen, staring at each other as if one of them would know what just happened.

Nanami grinned triumphantly and made a dash for the storage shed.

In the kitchen, Mizuki and Tomoe exchanged puzzled looks. "Nobody eats potato chips here. My meals are nutritious and filling. Nanami never eats snacks. She has to be up to something." Mizuki nodded in agreement stuffing a bit of food into his mouth.

"What are you eating?" Tomoe eyed him.  
"Shii-ta-ke." Mizuki's cheeks turned pink.  
_"Those are NANAMI'S shiitakes!" _

* * *

In the storage shed Nanami had placed the robe around her and was planning what to say. 'I hope he gets here soon. _'Maybe he forgot about me._' She ran her fingers over the robe. Finally the door began to open, and in came Tomoe with something in his hand. "Quick Nanami, Eat this! Mizuki was trying to steal it from you!" He extended his hand, and she saw a shiitake mushroom. "He could have had it. I keep telling you I don't like those things!"

His ears twitched out of irritation. "So are you going to help me fasten this thing or what?" Tomoe mumbled something under his breath and walked over to her reaching for the belt. Nanami's face began to turn pink as she prepared herself for what she was about to do.

As she handed the belt to him, and while his hands were just inches from her body, she let the robe "Accidentally" slide off her shoulders "Opps." She turned to look at him. Tomoe's jaw had dropped at the sight of her brown satin slip. His face was red and his eyes were wide open.

"Na- Nanami! What are you doing? Put that back on! Why do your clothes keep disappearing today?" She turned to face him. " It's because you have really good timing." She breathed into his ear. Grabbing him, she pressed the silky material against his robe. "It feels really good against my skin; I thought it would be more comfortable. That robe is hot when I wear my uniform under it."

Tomoe was stunned. "Nanami- You said that you didn't want this to happen." He could barely choke out the words, due to the fact that his mouth was completely dry.

"No, I said that I didn't want to force you..." She eyed him, trying to understand how he felt about this. "Now you have a choice. Do you want me Tomoe? Or will you walk out of that door like this never happened?" Tomoe's face became dark, and he began to sweat. He knew that this was wrong, but at the same time, he was overcome with raw instinct.

_'What should I do?'_


	6. Chapter 6

"Nanami." Tomoe had to take a few minutes to collect his thoughts. He had sat down on a nearby box to distance himself from Nanami. "Have you ever even had sex before?" Nanami was caught off guard by that question. "Of course not!" Tomoe stared at her outfit. 'It would be a shame to let that go to waste.' He stared at her for a second planning his response, as though this was a puzzle. "Are you sure that you want to give something so special to me? I am nothing more than your familiar."

"Don't ever say that again, Tomoe! You are much more than just a familiar to me." Nanami's heart began to race as she waited for his reaction. "But in this shed Nanami? It's covered in dust! Not very romantic place at all." Nanami considered what he was saying. "As long as I'm with you it will be romantic." She took a step towards him. "Nanami I would be more comfortable if you didn't touch me... That smell... What is it?" "You don't even want me to touch you?" Nanami could not believe her ears. She was practically throwing herself at him, and this is how he reacted? "Please put the robe back on Nanami."

Rejection. Again. Embarrassed at herself for what she had just done she bent over to pick the robe up, placing it around herself. Tomoe grabbed the belt from where it lay on the ground, deep in thought. _'I didn't say that right. I didn't say any of that right. She must think that I said that because she disgusted me. When I am just trying to control myself. I she had touched me, I don't know what I might have done.'_

After fastening the robe around her, he turned her around to face him. "Nanami-" Tears had welled in her eyes. She quickly wiped them away and forced a smile "It's ok Tomoe, I should have known better... It's all my fault. Let's go practice. " As she began to walk away he grabbed her sleeve. She was so stunning, he didn't want anybody else to see her. He wanted to keep her all to himself, and that intoxicating smell. "What Tomoe?"

He could not resist anymore. He had tried so hard for so long, but this was too much. He raised her chin and quickly captured her lips. There was nothing else to say. _'The taste of sake.'_ Everything that he had been thinking was erased from his mind. _'If we both want this, then it's right.'_ His mind shut down, and was replaced by primal instinct. He began snatching the belt and robe off of her until nothing was left but the silky slip. Nanami's arms were wrapped around his neck, and she passionately returned his kiss. Tomoe removed his own clothes and pushed Nanami against a rack that was almost completely empty, while allowing his hands to roam over her body freely. His nails began to shred the slip she was wearing, but she did not seem to mind. "Tomoe, I don't need your pity..." Nanami breathed into his ears as their lips parted ways.

"This is not pity Nanami. This is-" She stole his lips again, allowing their tongues to mingle and began to caress his firm muscles as he removed what was left of her slip from around her skin. "Nanami, my nails. I'm sorry" Small scratches were spread across her torso. "I don't care" she responded. " Please try not to be too loud. I know this is your first time, so I'm going to warn you that it will take you a minute to get used to the sensations." She nodded as Tomoe lowered himself to her neck gently biting and licking her. Unhooking her bra, he started to rub her breasts and gently tease her nipples. Nanami softly moaned, trying her best to control herself, but it just didn't seem like it was helping. Tomoe lowered himself to his knees, and slowly slid her panties down while shushing Nanami. 'She has no clue how loud she is being' he silently mused.

Nanami braced herself as her panties slid down her legs. _'This is it.'_ She thought, as her breath was taken away by the sensation of his tongue. _'She's louder now! I hope Mizuki can't hear this... I had better stop soon.'_ after another minute of pleasuring her he slid his tongue across her clit, and rose to his feet. Nanami leaned against the rack panting, her face a deep shade of red. "Nanami? Are you okay? Did I hurt you? Was it my teeth?"

"No, no. I'm just nervous. You didn't do anything wrong. I've just never felt anything like that before!" She stared into his eyes and he smiled at her. "Ok, are you ready?" She nodded

"Ok let me move this box over here, so you can sit down." Tomoe picked up the crate, and set it against the wall next to the rack, placing his robe over it. He motioned for Nanami to sit, and she did so, staring at him the whole time. "Ok, now what?" Nanami asked. "This." Tomoe removed his undergarments, causing Nanami to stare wide-eyed at him. He was fully erect, and it was larger than she had expected. "What?" he asked "Don't stare at it like that!" Blushing he covered his groin, and she shifted her gaze. "I'm sorry I've never seen one in person before. I did not expect... Ya know." He chuckled "You expected it to be small?" "No, no that's not-" "he placed his face only inches from her "If it was, how would I please my master?"

He grabbed one of her legs moving it to give him better access, and held himself at her entrance. "Ok Nanami. Just relax, ok?" She gazed into his eyes. "Ok..." He began to push against her slowly, not entering her yet, but trying to make sure it would not hurt her.

"Are you ready?" he gazed at her. "Yes." She sounded unsure, but she had said yes. That was all he needed. He gently began to push inside of her. As the head slipped in her warmth overcame him. She was wet enough to not need any extra help, and he felt all control begin to slip from his body. Nanami had started to scream when he first entered her so he locked their lips to muffle the sound. Midway inside of her, he froze to let her adjust to the feeling. Once she had regained her composure he slowly began to pump into her and pull back, giving her more with each stroke. Nanami began to moan and whispered his name in pleasure. She ran her nails lightly down his chest and abs, which caused him to lose that last bit of control he had been holding on to. He thrust deep into her, causing her to cry out, and dig her nails into his shoulder, as began to bite her neck. what had started out as soft and slow, had suddenly become rough. His teeth even began to dig deeper into her neck, almost as though they might pierce her skin. She reached up, pulling his lips back to hers, and they met her with a rough passionate kiss. She could not keep her voice down, and moaned into his lips, he pinched her lips with his teeth and his nails began to dig into her thigh, and side. "Tomoe!" He acted as though he could not hear her. "Tomoe! Stop!"

He immediately came to a halt, but he was clearly still not himself. He just stared at her, wide eyed and not saying a word. She pushed him off herself, and as he fell he grabbed the shelf to steady himself; causing a glass jar to fall to the ground and shatter.

Nanami jumped at the sound, and Tomoe snapped out of his dazed state, only to see Nanami covering herself with his robe, and staring at him with a terrified expression. "Nanami?" She did not answer. "Nanami, Did I hurt you?" She still did not respond. Just quickly started gathering what was left of her slip, and placing the robe over her body. When he reached to grab her and make her talk to him she winced, and shied away from his touch. "Nanami, I'm sorry, please just talk to me!" His words were met with a menacing glare. "You're _sorry_?" she frowned at him and began to walk out of the shed. "I think I need to go lie down" She closed the door behind herself, and Tomoe was left alone in the shed.

"Nanami, is everything ok?" Tomoe could hear Mizuki's voice just outside of the door.  
"Yes, we just had a small accident in there; Tomoe said he would clean it up." Nanami's voice  
"Ok... Hey, what happened to your lip?"  
"Oh, I fell, and knocked a jar off of a shelf. We couldn't get the robe to fit me. Maybe I've lost some weight. Please excuse me, I need to lay down, I hit my head."

_'I need to go write this down...'_ Nanami thought to herself, as she ran inside the shrine.

After that statement, the shrine fell silent. Tomoe just sat in place, trying to recall what had happened. It was going so well. 'I tried hard to control myself. I must have failed. I broke her... What do I do?' He had known this was a bad idea, and now he did not have the strength to move. _'What if I just stay here in the shed? I'll clean this glass, and-... Dust? What else? I'll be lucky if Nanami lets me stay here at all. I need to talk to her, but I know she won't let me right now'_

Tomoe stood up, he needed to do something, and he needed to do it quickly, before Nanami started to think that he intentionally hurt her.


	7. Chapter 7

Tomoe sat on the floor of the storage room for quite some time, pondering what to do. He figured that if he just went to Nanami and explained what happened, everything would be ok. Right? So he cleaned the mess in the shed. Once done he headed into the shrine, and straight into the kitchen. 'This isn't where I'm supposed to be!' he stared in the direction of Nanami's room. _'She's probably crying right now.'_ A strong wave of shame overtook his entire body, and all he could do is stand there trying to think of what to do. "Dinner!" he exclaimed, "I'll cook dinner!" Mizuki had been standing in the doorway the whole time. "You always cook dinner." He was eying Tomoe from where he stood and began to walk closer to him. "You didn't try anything funny, did you Tomoe-kun?" Tomoe stared at him for a second. "Of course not snake."

Now for the cooking, Tomoe grabbed a handful of ingredients and began to prepare them. "Tomoe, Nanami seemed very upset earlier." Tomoe turned to face Mizuki. "Here" He shoved a shiitake mushroom in his mouth. "Eat that, and die." Mizuki began to chew and stare at Tomoe dumbfounded. From where he was standing Tomoe looked more like he was fighting a miniature monster, instead of just cooking a meal. Peaking over his shoulder, Tomoe was not surprised to see Mizuki still standing there picking mushrooms off the counter and popping them into his mouth. "I know something happened, Tomoe. Nanami won't tell me, and I know you know exactly what happened."

"Only Nanami knows what truly happened. Go prepare a bottle of sake." After an hour of chopping, rolling and steaming Tomoe had an entire platter of food prepared for Nanami. _'She could never hate me if I bring her this.'_ He began to approach her room, but he stopped half way. 'I can't get any closer. Did she command me to stay away?' "Where is that sake snake?" Mizuki practically skipped into the room holding a round bottle of his home made sake. "I'm so glad I get to make sake for Nanami-sama. That sake she gave me when we first got together to talk about you was horrible." Mizuki smiled and placed the bottle on Tomoe's tray. Then the smile disappeared and he just stared at Tomoe "Wow, I've already had too much to drink! Off to bed!" He practically ran into his room. _'Baka. Now why can't I approach the room?'_ Tomoe tried to inch his foot forward, it moved. _'Am I really just that nervous? That I would try to stop myself subconsciously?'_

* * *

Nanami had been lying in her bed ever since the _incident_. She was confused about everything that had happened. It was going fine until he suddenly got overly rough with her. She was not seriously hurt. The only pain she had was where he had bitten her lip, and where his nails had dug into her skin. She had hung the miko robe in a corner of the room, and underneath it laid the shredded remains of the chocolate colored slip. She had spent this whole time poking her scars, and writing in her book. She wrote the entire story about how she and Mizuki planned to make Tomoe jealous. How she had put her own touch on it with the lingerie and surprising him in the shed. After she closed the book she began to tie the string around it, and she heard a voice call out. "Master, I have prepared your meal, and I have also brought you something to drink."

_'Tomoe!'_ she thought to herself. "You can leave it at the door!" she called out. Tomoe's eyes narrowed. _'It wasn't an order. It was an option._' He opened the door. "Nanami-sama please allow me to serve you in your room tonight. I wish to speak with you as well." He flashed her his most charming look. "I don't want to talk." Nanami gave him a horrible look back. The only way he could think to describe it was a terrified sick person face. _'How unattractive! Why is she making that face at me?'_ "I also brought you a full bottle of sake!" "Are you trying to convince me to let you come near me for alcohol?" Nanami glared at him from where she laid. "It's working. Come in, Tomoe." Tomoe slid the door closed behind himself and kneeled beside Nanami's bed "This tray was designed especially for eating in bed." He smiled at her. She just stared at him.

"Cut the crap. What do you want Tomoe?"

"Nanami, I just wanted to apologize. Again. I don't know what happened. At all. Please tell me what I did. You know I would never hurt you. I have told you in the past that I belong only to you. You are my main priority. You know that I would never do a thing to harm you." Tomoe kissed Nanami's hand and poured her a cup of Mizuki's sake. "That is all I wished to say, So now I will leave you to enjoy your meal." With that Tomoe Rose to his feet and made his way out of the room. 'I did it. I just hope she believed me.'

In her room, Nanami stared at her tray of food. Not a single shiitake in sight. Each rice ball had been carefully wrapped in a bamboo leaf and shaped like a rectangle. "Tomoe!"

His ears perked, 'She's going to kick me out!' He reached for something, anything else to give her. "Will you come here please?" There was nothing in his hand! Nothing left to grab! "And bring an extra cup as well." A cup! He could grab a cup! For what? He slid the door open and entered her room. As the door closed he started towards her holding the extra cup out to her as if he expected her to do something to it. Instead of going berserk, she poured him a cup of sake.

"You really don't know what happened?" She cocked her head to the side awaiting his answer  
He shook his head no and she extended a hand in his direction. "Then let me tell you"

He sat in silence s she explained exactly what had happened, but instead of him feeling better by knowing he only felt worse. "I am not fit to be by your side Nanami-sama." She stared at him as he gracefully stood up. "Please excuse me." "Tomoe, it's ok, I'm not hurt."

"Not hurt?" He narrowed his eyes at her "Look at your lip Nanami. You have scratches on your neck, and various other parts of your body. This is my fault. I knew it was wrong before We did anything and I didn't stop myself." Nanami could not think of anything to say. Clearly, Tomoe wasn't himself when it happened. So why was he taking it so hard?

"Tomoe, it's not your fault. If you didn't mean to, then don't be so hard on yourself."  
"I hurt you. I'm really sorry. Please accept my apology. I must go and take care of some things." At that, he left her room. Her eyes burned holes in his back on his way out. He took an extra bottle of sake and left the shrine to sit on the roof_. 'Old habits are not easy to rid yourself of.'_ He drank in the moonlight until he felt the urge to sleep. He did not want to move, so he let sleep take him over there.  
Nanami had heard the door open hours ago. She had not seen Tomoe at all. He was not in his room, and he did not appear to be anywhere else she could think of. _'I hope he's ok'_


	8. Chapter 8

_'My life has been a long one'_ Tomoe gazed at the bright half moon which loomed over head _'where did everything go wrong?'_ He silently reflected on his past. One bottle of sake had turned to two, and two to three. _"Fox, if you slay my clan you will bring death to the people of this land. Would you really doom all for something so minor? My clan has protected these people for ages, and we intend to do so for many more._" At that time, I cared for none but myself. "What an honorable speech, but you humans and your problems are none of my concern. You should have thought of the _value_ of your life before you approached me." That was not the first time Tomoe had killed a group of humans, but after the massacre the land fell into despair. Bandits overtook small farming communities. Women and children were slain and stolen from towns, and he laughed at them as they begged at the end of his claws for mercy.

_"Tomoe, everything was going fine, but the moment touched you... You just-"_ Was that Nanami?_"I thought you were going to sink your teeth into my neck. Your claws dug into my thigh." _It had to be her voice. _"I was terrified, and you wouldn't listen to me."_ Where was she?

"Nanami-" Tomoe turned around; she had to be somewhere near him. Her voice sounded like it was coming from beside him "Where are you?" He was surrounded in darkness and silence was the only answer that rang in his ears. "Nanami please don't hide from me. You said everything was okay! You have forgiven me already!"

"Tomoe..." hands reached for him out of the darkness."How dare you try to forget us." Hundreds of hands grabbing him from every direction. He wildly began to thrash about and slice through all who dared touch him. The wall of hands and haunting voices seemed to disappear. Suddenly a beam of light broke the darkness and in the middle of it Nanami appeared smiling warmly at him. "Tomoe~" He ran to her embracing her tightly. 'I'm so glad you're okay Nanami." He held her until she began to break the contact between them. He calmly gazed into her eyes and was taken aback by the icy glare that met him. "A wild fox such as yourself does not deserve to be my familiar. Such a pity." She slowly stepped back and away from him. "Look at you- You're covered in blood. Tainted, and now you are attempting to taint me." He stared in horror at the sight of his robes and hands, which were soaked in the dark liquid, he remembered all too well. "I hope you enjoy yourself." He did not understand how such harsh words could escape her lips. Is this how she truly felt? "I leave you to the seeds you sowed long ago." With that, she began to walk away. He ran as fast as he could calling out to her, extending his hand as the forms lurking in the shadows began to consume him. "Nanami! I lo-"

_'What a horrid dream._' Sitting straight up Tomoe ran his hand over his face to shake the feeling. 'I need to see Nanami.' He gathered the empty bottles and proceeded to leap from the roof. As he entered the shrine, all was still quiet and dark. He placed the empty bottles on the kitchen floor and started towards Nanami's room. Quietly sliding the door open, he approached her bedside. A book lay beside her on the floor. _'What's this?'_

He untied the ribbon and leafed through the pages "When I told Tomoe I loved him he seemed disgusted. He had told me that he believed humans and youkai belonged to different worlds and could never be together, but I think he was been hurt in his past." He continued to read on. "I can't remember my mother, but I know she was said to be beautiful."

_'So she just writes about her life in this book?'_ An idea sparked in his mind_. 'Nanami didn't say much to me about earlier. One little peek won't hurt.'_ He shifted his gaze from the book to Nanami who was resting peacefully. 'This is the perfect time. She'll never know.' Flipping through the pages, he stopped at the last entry. "Tomoe didn't put any shiitake in my meal last night. He must have felt sorry for what he did." _'Too far.'_ He flipped back a page and found the proper entry.

"I intended to finally show Tomoe how I feel. In the past I had told him about it, but he didn't believe me. I almost forced him to be with me before. This time I gave him a choice, and he decided to be mine. His hands were so gentle, and I knew that what we were doing was right. He deflowered me, and made me feel sensations I never even knew existed. The whole time I felt light, it was the most perfect moment of my life, but he turned into something that I had never seen in him before. It all started out so gentle, he was being careful so not to hurt me. The moment I touched him he changed. My arms were around his neck, and I had a hand buried in his hair. I slid my other hand from his back over his shoulder, and down his chest. I didn't mean to scratch him, but when I did he slammed me back against the wall and began to dig his nails into my flesh. It hurt so much. Much more then what he was doing, that actually started to feel good, but the mixed sensations of pain and pleasure overwhelmed me. I called out to him numerous times, and he didn't respond. It was as if he couldn't hear me. His teeth began to puncture my skin and I thought he might bite down harder, so I made him kiss me. He bit my lip, and the pain was too much to bear, so I commanded him to stop. He just stood there, not moving at all staring at me. He held a sinister expression, and he still wouldn't respond to my voice. I pushed him, and he knocked a jar off of the shelf. After the shatter of the jar, he returned to normal claiming not to know what happened. He must not like to be tickled."

Tomoe retied the ribbon around the book. 'I didn't know.' silently placing it back in its place he knelt down at Nanami's side 'I couldn't help myself.' He stared at her as she slept. "Nanami." She didn't stir. "Nanami, wake up."

"Hmm?" She began to move slightly and barely opened her eyes. "Tomoe?" She slowly sat up and wiped the sleep away from her eyes "Where have you been?" "What? I was sleeping." He watched her as she yawned and stretched before responding. "For three days?" He did not know what to say. 'Three days? I couldn't have slept that long!'

"Listen, Nanami, I wanted to tell you that I remembered what happened." She stared at him curious about what he would say. "I'm sorry it got so out of hand, I won't ever hurt you again." She smiled "Tomoe I know you didn't mean to. I told you it was okay. I thought you had run away, but when the shrine didn't change I knew you had to be close by."

He smiled back at her, "Ok I'm going to finish the preparations for the festival. You can go back to sleep." As he turned to walk away Nanami grabbed him and pulling him back to her, locking his lips to hers. "Don't think that I'm angry with you. I still feel the same, Tomoe. We have some unfinished business. After the gathering, I hope to spend some more time with you, if you'll have me."

Tomoe did not know what to say, he did not want things to turn out as they had before. If something so small caused him to lose himself then, how could he possibly contain himself if there was a next time? All he could do was flash her a small smile. "Of course, Master. Anything you desire."


	9. Chapter 9

"Mizuki, would you pour me another cup please?" Nanami had been irritable for a while now and Mizuki was not sure exactly why.

"Of course Nanami!" He flashed her a cheerful smile which was illuminated by the light of a nearby torch. It was a moonless night, and Tomoe had disappeared in the middle of the day, bailing out on his plans with Nanami... Again.  
"That damn fox!" Nanami slurred.  
"Umm, Nanami? Are you sure it's okay for you to drink this much?"  
Nanami burst into a wild fit of laughter falling back onto the wooden porch.  
"Mizuki, tell me something. If I asked you to talk to me in private, would you disappear in the middle of the day?" "Of course not, Nanami!" Mizuki laughed at her."Come on let's get you to bed. You have to travel to the mountain with Karuma and Tomoe tomorrow, and I'm sure you would not want to be sick the whole day!"  
Nanami rolled around softly protesting but too drunk to argue.

As Mizuki reached to pick her up, Tomoe emerged from the shrine. "I'll take care of her Mizuki. You clean up." Mizuki glared at Tomoe. "No, I want to take her to bed!" Tomoe's ears twitched. When Mizuki said it like that, he definitely did not want to let him take Nanami to her room.

"Tomoe!" Nanami attempted to stand, but all she accomplished was to roll in his direction. "Where have you _been_? We were _supposed_ to go-" "Okay, okay! I will take care of her! Don't worry about this!" Tomoe promptly swept Nanami up into his arms, and walked into the shrine, Mizuki watching him the whole time. _'It seems I have lost to him.'_  
As he placed her in bed she grabbed his sleeves. "Tomoe, are you avoiding me?" He stared at her with a calm smile. "No, I am simply protecting you Nanami." He pulled the covers over her, watching her as she closed her eyes to sleep. "Good night, Nanami. I will see you in the morning." She opened her eyes, a calm smile spreading across her face. "You won't even kiss me before you leave?" Tomoe stared down at her. "If you don't want to, you can just sleep here." She raised the covers for him to slide in beside her. "Nanami you know I can't do something like that." "Why not? We've already-" He quickly captured her lips.

It had been a month since that night in her room, and ever since then he had been trying to elude situations which would force him to be alone with her. He could not risk anything going wrong with her again, and he decided that he would have to love her from afar. Mizuki was still in the dark about what happened between the two.

"**Tomoe**."

Their kiss was broken and Tomoe stared wide eyed at Mizuki who had silently slid the door open. "_What_ are you doing to Nanami?" Mizuki was practically frothing at the mouth.  
"Well you see- What I am trying to say is- It isn't what it looks like." _'Why am I so flustered?'_ Tomoe turned a bright red.  
"Then what _is_ it?" Mizuki bellowed, glaring daggers at him.  
"Well, we fell!" "Under the covers?" Mizuki had seen enough he made his way to Tomoe.  
"I was already lifting them up." Tomoe eyed Mizuki as he walked to the opposite side of Nanami.

"I'm going to tell Nanami what you just did." Mizuki grinned evilly at Tomoe while leaning down."I'm right here, Mizuki." A barely conscious Nanami cheerfully murmured. _'He's not really going to-' _Mizuki planted a kiss on Nanami's face. "SNAKE!" Tomoe smacked Mizuki's head back with his palm, his face twisted in a scowl. _'How dare he!'_ "Is that all it takes to make you mad Tomoe?" Mizuki deviously laughed planting multiple kisses on her cheeks and lips as Tomoe tried to restrain him. They wrestled for hours tossing insults back and forth, until they both gave up, and headed to their beds. Mizuki glanced over his shoulder at Tomoe as he walked away.

_'Now you know how I feel.'_


	10. Chapter 10

The following morning Nanami, Karuma, Botanmaru, and Tomoe set out to travel to Karuma Mountain. It seemed to take much longer than anticipated. Along the way, Nanami started to itch all over and sneeze uncontrollably. "I don't know what's wrong with me!" Laughing she wiped her nose with a handkerchief Karuma had lent her.

"Nanami, I can see that you aren't having a good day, so allow me to brighten it for you." From behind his back Karuma handed her a plant. It had large clusters of off white flowers along the stem. "How sweet!" Nanami smiled and tried to smell the flowers. "I can't really smell it, but this is sweet, thank you!" Tomoe was walking behind her, silently watching Karuma and Nanami as they talked and laughed together. 'This is really annoying.' He thought to himself. Slowly increasing his pace, he leaned forward, and plucked a single feather out of Karuma's wing. "Ow!" Karuma turned and glared at Tomoe."What?" He asked innocently. "Did you just touch one of my beautiful feathers?" "Why would I touch one of those things without knowing where they've been? I have no desire to sully my hands." Tomoe glared at Karuma.

"Karuma, is this golden rod?" Nobody listened to Nanami; they began to bicker loudly back and forth.

"My wings are MUCH cleaner then you! Your hands would get dirt in my feathers! You had better not touch them!"  
"It would be an honor for me to touch something as disgusting as your wings, which is why would never do such a thing! You don't deserve any honor crow!" Tomoe flashed him a cold smile, and Karuma started shouting even louder.

"Stop arguing!" Nanami yelled over them. Tomoe stopped and stared at Nanami surprised. Karuma turned to look at her. "Is this golden rod?"

"Why ask such an odd question Nanami? It is more white then golden." Karuma smiled an arrogant smile. "There is a form of golden rod that is called silver rod. What is wrong Nanami?" Tomoe hurried to her side. "I thought this was a corn Lilly flower! I'm allergic to Golden rod!" Nanami dropped the flower while starring at her hand, which had broken out into a red rash. "Do you see what your amorous actions have caused?" Tomoe glared a Karuma. "Tomoe he didn't know I had any allergies. It's okay! I'm sure the rash will disappear in some time."

Later on that evening The group arrived at their destination, and all were greeted warmly except for Nanami. Her rash had faded along the way and the itching had subsided. On her way to the bathroom, she had run into a group of melancholy children who mentioned that the thousand-year-old sakura tree would not bloom due to the thick clouds of miasma that had spread across the mountain. Using a bit of her strength she placed her hands on the tree and caused the cherry blossoms to bloom, filling the children with glee before they were called to dinner. The kids left and as they did so the blossoms began to wither and fall to the ground. 'So I'm not strong enough' Nanami was overcome with sorrow. "Hey!" a voice called to her. A man approached her stunned. "Women are not allowed on this mountain!"

She tried to escape muttering an apology, but before she could leave the man had grabbed her wrist. "Who are you? Who sent you here?" The man asked. 'This must be the Jirou that Karuma's brother had mentioned. "Speak woman, or I will break your wrist!" Somebody called to Jirou and Nanami's Shikigama bit Jirou's finger helping her to break free and run back to the house Karuma's brother was allowing them to stay in.

* * *

Later that night Tomoe entered the room that he and Nanami would be sleeping in. "Nanami?"  
"Don't look at me!" she boomed.  
_'Who's voice was that?'_ The voice of a woman had responded to him, but that voice was too deep to be Nanami's.  
"Nanami? Was that you?"  
"Go away Tomoe!"

Tomoe was forced from the room, and he didn't know what to think. _'I left, so I can go back in now... Right?'_ He slipped quietly into the room searching for her hiding spot. Nanami sat under a pile of sheets in the corner. "Nanami? What's wrong?" Pulling the covers back Tomoe saw exactly what was wrong with her. Her face had swollen and a rash had broken out across her body. "Nanami, you umm-" She stared at him her eyes watering. "You should take a bath... How did this happen?"

"Well-" She started. "My eye was itching and I scratched it. While I was eating dinner I almost dropped my chop sticks, so when I caught them, I grabbed the wrong end!" She wailed. He stared at her. "Let's get you to the bath I will start the water for you." "Please don't tell anybody!"

Tomoe nodded at her and exited the room "Karuma, is there anything here to treat allergic reactions?" Karuma stared at him and nodded "We have a family medicine here. Is Nanami okay?" Shaking his head no, Tomoe walked to the bathroom to draw a warm bath for Nanami, and Karuma dropped a ball of medicine into the water and when the tub was filled Tomoe ushered Nanami into the bathroom. "When you get out go straight to sleep." He instructed.

Later in the night Tomoe and Nanami were in their beds, with a room divider in between their beds. Nanami got up and rushed to the restroom, an Tomoe saw that the swelling had gone down, she looked like herself again, and there was no sign of the rash at all. 'That must have been good medicine.' He thought as he laid back down. Closing his eyes he felt his covers lift up and somebody slip into his bed behind him. He sat up. "Your bed is over there!" Nanami didn't move, she was already fast asleep. 'She looks so peaceful. If I could just...' He leaned down and stole a kiss from her lips, while holding her in an embrace. At the sense of his touch Nanami woke up. "What are you doing in my bed Tomoe?" He stared at her flustered. "This is _my_ bed!" Nanami jumped up, and ran back to her bed muttering an apology.

_'Baka.'_ he silently mused a small smile teasing his lips. His desire tugging on his heart. _'Should I do it?'_ The thoughts he had been trying to avoid flooded his mind. _'Dangerous thoughts!_' He stared at the partition in between them. 'She specifically told me not to try anything funny'

He stood up and peaked his head around the divider. "Hey, Nanami." She was fast asleep the covers were kicked off her, and her clothes were rumpled around her body exposing her skin. _'Maybe just this once'_


	11. Chapter 11

"Hey, Nanami." Tomoe walked over to her bed. "You've pushed your clothes up again. I'm just going to help you fix them." The girl did not awaken. 'She must be exhausted after all of the traveling.' Tomoe fixed her clothes and pulled the covers up around her body. Staring down at her he couldn't help but notice how peaceful she looked in her sleep. 'This isn't what I wanted to do' Taking a deep breath Tomoe eased his hands under her body taking care not to wake her. As he rose to his feet Nanami stirred causing him to freeze until he was sure she had drifted off again. He walked over to his bed laying the girl beside him. 'She is going to be confused when she wakes up.' He smiled to himself and wrapped his arm around her. 'I'll tell her I don't know how this happened.' He gently kissed her lips and drifted off to sleep.  
"Tomoe!"  
"Hmm?" Barely conscious he felt Nanami jerk out of his arms. "Tomoe! Wake up!" He sat straight up one of his ears at an angle. "What is it Nanami? Why are you so loud?" "I'm in your bed!" Tomoe had fallen asleep so quickly that he had not even thought of what he would say to her when she woke up. He rubbed his eyes. "Well, you did crawl into my bed last night." Nanami looked odd for a second. "But I went back to my bed!" "Well, did you go to the bathroom again?" "I don't think so."  
Nanami walked to her backpack and grabbed a clean uniform to change into. "Nanami it's too early to get up. Come back to bed." Tomoe raised the blanket motioning for her to lay back down. She did not move, only wondering whether or not she should get back in his bed. 'Is he serious?' Her mind began to wander, and all she could do was stare at him. "If you don't want to you don't have to." His voice was indifferent, and he dropped the blanket rolling over so his back was facing her. After a few minutes, he felt the covers lift behind him and Nanami crawled beside him. He looked over his shoulder not knowing what to say. "You really don't mind?" She asked him suspiciously. "Not at all, I actually enjoy it." Smiling he rolled over wrapping his arms around her, pulling her back tightly into his body. "Tomoe, how did I get in your bed?"  
"I don't know Nanami." Pushing her hair aside he began to kiss her neck, and she let out a sigh. "Don't lie to me; you woke up when I got in your bed before." Tomoe's ear twitched. "So tell me." she commanded  
"I carried you into my bed after you went to sleep. You had kicked your covers off, and I figured you were not comfortable. So I thought that since my bed was a little more soft you wouldn't mind." silence filled the air as Nanami tried to think of something to say to him. "Are you angry?" He waited for her response. "Of course not!" She laughed at his question. "I thought you didn't want to touch me." She said turning to face him. "I never said that!"  
"No, you didn't, but you avoided me for months, and you also disappeared for three whole days! I think you made it obvious that you didn't want to be anywhere near me." Tomoe took a moment to think about what she had said. "Nanami, do you remember the night that you and Mizuki were on the porch, and you drank too much?" She tried to recall the night in question. "Umm, I remembered that I had a dream of being kissed all over my face, and you and Mizuki fighting."  
'Opps, wrong memories!' he thought. "Well that night when I entered the porch you were so drunk that you just rolled around on the ground. I tucked you into your bed and kissed you good night. I also had to put you to bed numerous other nights, because you seem to be drinking more these days." Nanami blushed and hid her face. "So I have still always been taking care of you Nanami, and I will never stop."  
Nanami's heartbeat quickened and she leaned in closer to Tomoe stealing his lips. He was surprised by her boldness, but eagerly returned her passion. He rolled over on top of her and pinned her down hungrily kissing her lips. Using a single hand, he traced his nails over her body, causing her to softly moan into his lips. 'What am I doing?' He thought to himself as he began to explore her body with his lips. 'I know how this turned out before, besides, she is too loud to do this here!'  
Nanami gasped in anticipation, as his nails softly glided down her stomach. 'She smells so... Earthy. Unlike anything I have ever smelled before.' Nanami's body began to tense as he rubbed a finger along her most sensitive areas, through her panties. She let out a soft moan of pleasure, causing him to increase the amount of pressure. Her hips begin to buck from the sensation and she let out a loud moan. Tomoe stopped, and thought of the trouble it would cause if they were caught. Especially if it was here. "Nanami, please... just try to control your voice..." she nodded, and grabbed the pillow beside her "Do you think this would help?"  
'Knowing her, she might suffocate' Suppressing a chuckle, he responded with a "yes", but warned her not to smother herself with the pillow, just to use it when she could not help herself. Returning to the task at hand he slowly slid her undies down over her knees, and around her feet. She felt his warm breath on her skin, as he slowly began to tease her with his tongue, causing her to squirm, and moan. The pillow did not help much, but it did lower the volume to an acceptable level. After a few minutes of her squirming and him having to pull her back to his lips, he slowly traced back up her body kissing her up to her neck. "Nanami, we shouldn't go any farther here. They might hear us, and we cannot risk getting caught here."  
Nanami gazed up at him with a baffled expression. "Why do you keep doing this to me Tomoe?"  
"What? We have not done anything in months! What do you mean?" His violet eyes fixated on her lips, as she spoke. "You get my hopes up, and then at the last moment you run, and treat me coldly for as long as possible." She paused, waiting for a response. When she realized that she would not receive one she continued to speak. "You know that I have wanted to be with you ever since I confessed, yet you have run hot and cold this whole time. First, you want me then you don't. It's like you are trying to confuse me."  
After hearing everything, she had to say Tomoe leaned down kissing her deeply. "Nanami, I assure you that I am not trying to befuddle you. I just-" He kissed her again. "I just don't know how to..." She waited for him to finish his sentence. His ears twitched. "Somebody is coming." he said in a low voice.  
"Shi-" Tomoe hurried to the other side of the partition, and just as he stepped around it the door slid open.  
"Good morning Tomoe! It's time for everybody to get dressed and help Shinjirou!" Suirou stood in the doorway waiting for an answer. "Okay." Tomoe replied. "Tell Karuma We will be ready in a few minutes. We need to clean up a bit." With that Karuma's brother exited the room.  
"That guy is kind of flamboyant, don't you think?" Nanami approached the room divider, as Tomoe rose to his feet. He grabbed her by her hair and pulled her into a rough kiss. "This is not over. We just need to wait until we have a bit more privacy." With that, he exited the room, leaving Nanami breathless, and hopeful. She began to undress. 'I should get ready.' She slipped her clothes on and left the room. 'This is going to be a long day.'


	12. Chapter 12

"Mmmm..."  
'Nanami must be mumbling in her sleep again.' Tomoe stepped out of bed, carrying his pillow as he walking to Nanami's side. 'Today was tiring. We had to save that old geezer. Chief or whatever of this mountain. I'm sure she wouldn't mind if I got in bed with her this time.' He slipped underneath her covers, watching her as she mumbled in her sleep. 'She's so cute.' He smiled to himself, while reaching to wrap her n his arms once again. "M..Mmm." She rolled over , and all Tomoe could see was her back as she whispered a single name. It was almost inaudible, but Tomoe heard it. "Jirou..." His stomach began to twist into a knot. "Jirou... please..." Tomoe snatched the covers off himself, and stormed out of the room. As he walked, he took a deep pull from his pipe. 'Sake.' Was all he could think.

In the morning Nanami awoke to find another pillow beside her own."Tomoe?" She yawned and stretched laying her head on his pillow. 'It smells just like him.' She lay there for half an hour, not being able to drift back off to sleep. "Tomoe, where have you gone?" No reply.  
She stood up stretching once more, and walked out of the room seeing Karuma seated beside Suirou drinking tea together. "Hey, have you seen Tomoe?"

"I have not, but feel free to join me Nanami." He smiled suggestively.  
"No I need to find Tomoe." she replied, "He left late last night." Suirou chipped in. "The door opened and he hasn't been back since."  
"Hmm, that's strange! Well have either of you heard about Jirou? I'm really worried about him. I feel so bad that he got injured because of me." They both shook their heads no, so Nanami left the house. Wandering around the mountainside, she saw the silhouette of Tomoe approaching, pipe in hand. "Where have you been?" She smiled at him, but his expression did not change. "Oh, you noticed I was gone?" He kept walking past her, not uttering another word, or even looking at her. "Hey!" she called after him. He stopped.

"Are you okay? Is it because of Jirou?" Tomoe's eyes widened 'How did she know?' "I know it can be difficult... He may never fly again. I'm worried too Tomoe, but I'm sure he will be fine! He's a strong man." She grabbed his sleeve in an attempt to cheer him up. 'Baka! She didn't know after all!' Tomoe turned slightly, responding to her over his shoulder "I could not care less about that crow. We need to head back to the shrine soon." He snatched his sleeve from her hands, and continued to walk back to Suirou's house. Nanami stared after him, wondering why he was in such a foul mood.

Hours later Tomoe had not even looked at her, and she was wondering if she had done something to upset him. 'But I don't remember doing anything... Everything was fine, and I went to sleep.' As she wondered what could have possibly happened, a child ran up to her. "Onee-chan! Jirou-sama has woken up!" Tomoe watched her as she broke into a sprint. 'So that's how she feels huh?'  
'Jirou!' Nanami started to run to the temple palace. "Jirou!" she burst into the door of his room, only to find him in the bathtub being washed up.

'That was awkward' Moments later she was back on the mountainside. 'Everybody started yelling at me!' She slumped up against the side of Suirou's house. 'Today is just not my day.' Tomoe walked out of the house and stood in front of her, the same icy glare from earlier bore into her eyes. "You know Nanami, If you wish to stay here you can." He narrowed his eyes at her, and she stared back at him, confused. Without a word, he walked away. 'What the heck is going on?!' Now she was completely lost. "Hey! Tomoe!" She ran to his side. "What did I do to make you this upset?" He did not look at her. "Nothing." He started to walk away again. "STOP!" The man froze in place. "Tell me!"

"You were muttering about Jirou last night in your sleep!" He hissed, "I was going to sleep with you again, but the moment I got in your bed you turned your back and started talking about him!"The words caused her to stare up at him, wide-eyed and unable to think of a single thing to say. "Did you forget he almost broke your wrist?" Enraged, he turned to face her, scowling. "But if that is what you like, make yourself happy." She reached up as if to kiss him, but before her hand could even touch his face, he had begun to walk away. Her head dropped, and all she could do was stand there, his voice echoing in her head.

Later on that evening Jirou had asked her to come to the gathering under the Sakura tree. As she arrived with Tomoe, Karuma, and Suirou, Jirou asked her to sit beside him. "Nanami, in the short amount of time that you have been here, you have already made me into a better man." She smiled at him. "You were always like that; you just needed somebody to remind you that you aren't alone!" Other men and boys begun to clear away from her due to the fact that women were not a common sight on the mountain, they were banned. "Nanami, come with me for a second." She nodded and much to her surprise Jirou scooped her up into his arm flying into the blossoms of the tree. Tomoe went berserk, as he stared up into the tree Karuma placed a hand in his shoulder. "if she needs help she can call me." he assured.

Jirou let her down safely perched atop a thick sturdy branch. Cherry blossoms surrounded them and it was one of the most beautiful sights Nanami had ever seen. "Nanami, I wouldn't mind if you wanted to stay here with me... Forever." Nanami did not know how to respond. "I have a shrine to take care of Jirou; I may have said yes if I didn't have any responsibilities, but I am a land god, what would my shrine do without me?" He nodded his head. "Well at least let me..." He backed her up against the trunk of the tree and gently placed his lips to hers; embracing her, and pressing his body against hers. She melted under the gentleness of his lips, which started to migrate down to her neck. "Wait.. Wait, Jirou. I can't-" He cut her off. "Have you ever made love surrounded by such beautiful flowers?"His hands began to wander, and her face turned pink. "Jirou, I can't do that with you... My heart-" Before she could finish her sentence he smiled. "I understand. Just know that my offer will always stand. You can come and go as you please." He picked her up again, and she felt the strength of his arms as he lowered her down to the festival below.

After placing her foot on the ground, Nanami could not help herself. She started drinking sake, and before she knew it, she was completely inebriated. As she rolled on the ground, Tomoe had to once again pick her up and carry her to her bed. 'She smells just like him. What did they do?' he wondered. "Toommoooeeee~" He was carrying her on his back. "Toommmoooeeee, where'd Kurama gooo?" He walked in silence. "Heeey... Are you listening to mee?" 'This girl... Ran off with that man, came back with her breath and body smelling like him... And hormones, and She expects everything to be okay?'

"Tomoe is who I like the most~" She tucked her head into his back, and let out a sigh. He could not help but turn to look at her. 'Even in the state she is... She is still beautiful.'


	13. Chapter 13

"The car should be at the end of this trail." Tomoe grabbed Nanami's hand as they began to walk throughout the forest. 'He still calls that thing a car' Nanami chuckled to herself silently. "Do not let go of my hand, and do not step off of the path." Nanami nodded, and followed him down the path. 'He still seems angry about the other night...'

"Hey Tomoe... We should talk." She glanced at his back as they walked. He did not answer for a while, and she wondered what to say next. "About what Nanami?" Glancing over his shoulder, he saw that she was staring at the ground "Well, you still seem upset... I just thought I would tell you what I was dreaming about." He stopped and turned to her "There is no need. I understand."

"How can you say you understand if you don't know any details? baka!" Glaring at him, she began to walk again, and he took the lead again. "In my dream Jirou had been struck in front of me again, and he was dying in my arms. I could not save him, or help him at all. Just watch him die. He was telling me that I should not care and it was a small sacrifice to make, but I couldn't accept that. Nobody came to help us, and I was about to be killed. At the last minute, you came and saved me, but it was too late. He had already died."

Silence surrounded them and there was nothing but the crickets chirping in the forest. "Nanami it's okay." Tomoe turned to her, lacing a hand on her head. "I really can't hold you responsible for what you mutter in your sleep. Really it never makes sense. Once you said that Mizuki was searching a tree for a hair brush. So I really can't blame you for it. It's not like you meant to." They continued walking until the neared the "car". Tomoe offered Nanami his hand, and lifted her up into the carriage. "So what now?" She asked smiling at him. "Now we wait until we reach the shrine."

"Of course!" She flashed him an irritated expression. "What I meant was what do we talk about now?" He remained silent for a minute. "Whatever you desire." Nanami began to think of things to say, not sure what a better subject was. She decided to be bold; instead of beating around the bush with a question, she had wanted the answer to for some time now. "So did you really mean it when you said that we were not finished? That we will finally spend some time together?" Caught off guard by her question Tomoe stared into the burning embers of his pipe as he took another drag. 'How should I respond?' He wondered, calmly gazing into her eyes. "I meant what I said, but if you are opposed to it, it is not necessary." Nanami shook her head waving her hand in his direction. "That's not what I was saying! I was just wondering!" A smile crept onto her lips, and she stared out of the carriage at the trees below. "The view up here is amazing!" Tomoe seemed uninterested. "Don't get too close to the edge. Knowing you, you would probably fall!" He seemed amused by this thought, and a slight smile curved his lips. Nanami turned to look at him. "I know how to stay inside of a car!"  
'I just called it a car too! I've been here for too long...' Peering down below, she saw a familiar bridge. "Hey we're almost there!" Tomoe remained silent, as the carriage began to lower itself to the ground.

As they in entered the shrine Nanami called out to Mizuki, but received no answer. She looked in the kitchen, the shed, and even his room, but still no Mizuki. Walking into Tomoe's room, she saw him laying on his bed. "So Mizuki isn't here, and neither are Onikiri, or Kotetsu. Where ever he went, he must have taken them with him. I wonder where though." She placed a finger to her lips as if to speculate where they had disappeared to. "So what do you want to do?" Tomoe ignored her question. "They probably went to the other world for a bit. We stayed longer than expected, so it is not a surprise." Tomoe proceeded to fan himself, completely uninterested in her.

"To-mo-e~" Nanami crawled over him, placing a hand on his chest. "This may be the only time we get to be alone... Maybe we should take advantage of the situation while it lasts." Staring up at her his eyes widened slightly, and he placed his hands on her hips. 'His eyes look more indigo from this angle.' Nanami thought to herself, as she sat on top of him. "So what do you say?" She began to remove his robes, exposing his chest, and running her nails along his skin. Small goose bumps rose on the surface soon afterwards. "Nanami are you sure? You seemed tired earlier."

"Do you think I'm going to let you get away with teasing me like you did back at the village?" she narrowed her eyes at him as she leaned down, licking his nipples, and chest. Tomoe sighed slightly at the sensation. 'It has been so long since I have been touched like this..." he thought as Nanami moved downwards, beginning to remove his pants. "I'm not very skilled at this, so please be patient with me..." Nanami freed him from his briefs and began to tease and lick him, causing his eyes to close and roll back slightly. He let out a deep sigh as she took him into her mouth. Tomoe placed his hand on the back of her head as she fell into a rhythm, sliding to the back of her throat and pulling back. 'She says she's not skilled!' He mused as his toes began to curl and he let out a moan.

Nanami looked up at him and stopped. She rose to her feet sliding off the bed and began to walk to the door. Tomoe sat up "Where are you going?" a puzzled expression crossed his face as he stared at her. "Consider it payback for the other night!" Nanami smiled and continued to walk away. Before she knew, what was happening his arms slid around her waist and he turned her around, closing his door with his body. "You should know better than to tease me. Now you're going to have to be punished!" She laughed at him, and he returned her smile. Scooping her up in his arms, he walked her back to the bed tossing her down gently. Using his nails, he cut her shirt open. "You really thought that you could do that and just walk away?" She stared up at him and he placed his lips to hers.

'Well she has made this into an interesting night.'


	14. Chapter 14

The cool air chilled Nanami's exposed skin as Tomoe gracefully lowered himself onto the bed over her. "So you were just going to walk away after starting something like this?" His eyes were locked onto hers and she broke his gaze. "Well you did the same to me didn't you?" Looking back at him, a slight smile played on his lips. "That was different; I didn't want us to get caught!" He gently placed his lips on her forehead, then the tip of her nose, slowly working down to her lips. Their lips barely brushed against each other making the kiss a soft one. Before either of them knew it, they had wrapped their arms around one another, laying side by side, and had become overcome with pure passion and lust. So long had they waited for a moment that they could be alone, and their lips reflected that. Their lips parted and the force of the kiss increased.

Tomoe snatched her skirt down and ran his nails up her thigh and to her chest, where he softly rolled her nipples between his fingers. Soon Nanami began to moan, and her heartbeat increased. "Are you still nervous?" A chuckle escaped Tomoe's lips as he lowered himself, taking the other nipple into his mouth. Nanami squirmed slightly as he began to stroke her through her underwear once again. "This time, you can moan, and scream all you want..." His eyes met hers, as she stared down at him. "Tomoe... I know I got scared last time, but don't worry about me this time." He nodded in response, and ran his tongue down her body. "So you're saying I can have as much of you as I'd like?" He slipped his nail under a side of her panties slicing through it, and quickly pulled the other side down. Nanami had not answered him, but he already knew what she wanted to say. Her hips began to buck and his tongue danced against her most sensitive area. A loud moan escaped her, causing one of Tomoe's ears to twitch.

The sensation danced all the way up Nanami's spine, arching her back. She tightly grabbed the sheets around her as if to steady herself. After about 5 minutes, Tomoe couldn't wait any longer, so he crawled back over her peering deep into her eyes. "Okay, are you ready?" She nodded as he removed his pants completely. "Relax, Nanami." He rubbed his hand along the side of her cheek, and she tilted her head into his hand, while gazing up at him. "I'm trying to." Her voice was small, and Tomoe stole her lips again. "It's ok..." he whispered into her ear as he began to position himself. He started to push slowly entering her, surrounded by her moist warmth, and she let out a long moan as he did. "Ohh, Tomoe..." He became excited at the sound of his name. 'So tight.' He thought. Nanami's eyes closed, as he slowly pumped himself into her. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him down to her lips. They met each other with a passionate kiss, causing him to increase his speed.

Nanami began to dig her nails into his skin, and wrapped a leg around his waist, pulling him deeper inside of herself. She moaned louder now, as he happily obliged, pounding harder. "Tomoe..." Her voice was a breathy gasp, and it made it hard for him to control himself. He moaned lightly, as he began to kiss and lick her neck. He lightly bit down, careful not to pierce her skin. He pulled out of her, panting softly. "What?" she asked trying to catch her breath, and gazing up at him with a puzzled expression. "You've only done it like this. Let's try another position, stand up." She stood up, and he walked her to the wall, slightly bending her over "Now put your hands on the wall." As she did, he pushed back inside of her, grabbing her waist and pulling her back to himself as he pushed against her. Nanami began to push back against him herself, slightly off rhythm, but working her way into the rhythm. They both moaned loudly now, no longer having to contain themselves.

Tomoe could not hold himself back any longer, he started to ram harder, pushing Nanami's body against the wall. He reached around and grabbed her chest stroking her nipples as they bounced. With his free hand, he reached under her, playing with her clit, causing Nanami to cry out, moaning louder than ever before. "Tomoe! I feel like I'm going to..." She could not get any more words out as a loud moan took all the breath from her lungs. She tightened around him her body slightly slumping, as she panted. He moved his hand from her clit back to her waist pumping deeper inside of her. He grunted as he felt the sensation building inside of himself. His stokes became even deeper yet, and his breath caught in his chest as his abs tightened. Nanami let out deep moans as he pushed against her. With one last stroke, the deepest yet, he came inside of her, his nails digging into her hips as he held her tightly against himself.

He exhaled, and Nanami did the same. Scooping her into his arms, he carried her back to the bed. They lazily laid in each other's arms. Panting, as their hearts raced. "Nanami, I've been meaning to tell you something..." She dreamily gazed into his eyes. "What is it?"

"Well... I had a dream a while ago. Before I could tell you, I woke up, and haven't been able to get it off of my mind since." He paused, still trying to catch his breath. "I love you..." Silence filled the room and her eyes widened. "I... I love you too Tomoe!" They remained in a mutual state of bliss together, and fell into the world of dreams.


	15. Chapter 15

"Tomoe, Wake up!"  
Tomoe felt a nudge that began to shake his body. A warm hand was placed on his chest, causing him to stir slightly. He opened one eye, gazing at Nanami as she stared down at him, a concerned expression on her face. "What is it?" He grabbed her hand, and rolled over pulling her into his arms. Nuzzling his face into her neck, his eyes closed as his lungs were filled with her scent. "I think everybody is back! We have to find a way to sneak out... They can't know!"  
"Mizuki can probably already smell us. So they would already know. Pheromones travel through the air, so we can smell sex." He started to doze off again, and Nanami blushed.  
"Don't go back to sleep. You told me before that there would be consequences if we do this! I don't want you to get in trouble, so tell me what to do!" Nanami's voice was a panicked whisper, causing Tomoe to sit up. "Ok... Get dressed." He grabbed his own clothes and began to slowly pull them over his body. Nanami watched him as the clothes slid over his muscles, placing her own clothes on as well. "Umm, My shirt is ruined... My panties too." She looked at the panties on the ground. They could only slide up one leg, And the shirt, which was normally a pull over, had been sliced own the front. Tomoe handed her a shirt of his own. "Put this on. Don't worry about your panties just take the clothes you can't wear with you." She pulled the shirt over her head and picked up the ruined clothes. Turning she saw a portal.  
"Come with me, and don't let go of my hand." He held his hand out glancing down at Nanami who slowly placed her hand in his. They entered the portal together into the other world, and walked in the direction of her room. Stopping Tomoe knelt down to look at the dirt. "This should be it." He opened another portal, and as they stepped through, she was amazed to see that they were standing in beside her bed. "Wow, that's amazing!" She laughed and hugged him. "Okay, you change, and I will run you a bath. In addition, I will tell Mizuki that we arrived early this morning and stopped by to pick up some clean clothes. Also that you wanted to go out with your friends. Okay?" She smiled at him, "Okay!" He quickly kissed her lips, and exited her room.  
Nanami changed her shirt and laid a clean pair of clothes on her bed. 'I need to write this while it's fresh in my mind.' She softly smiled, while grabbing her diary. Laying on her stomach she began to write out details of the trip, the ride in the carriage and of course, the night that Tomoe took her as his own.  
"Nanami, your bath is ready. Try to hurry; Mizuki is out back dealing with the weeds." She nodded and closed the book, tying it tightly. 'Did he see it?' She wondered. 'Did he see my diary?'  
In the bathroom, she placed her clothes on a small table beside the tub. 'Showers are nice, but nothing beats this!' Undressing she dipped her toe into the water. Not too hot and not too cold. There was a familiar smell in the water, a woody scent. 'Sandalwood? Tomoe must have used his own soap in here.' Relaxing Nanami leaned back against the tub, she grabbed her washcloth, which had been folded and hung neatly on the side of the bath.  
Mizuki had picked the last of the weeds and stared across the yard at his work. Whipping his brow with his sleeve he entered the shrine. Chopping sounds filled the kitchen, causing him to approach the door. "Hey Tomoe! You two made it back! I thought i smelled Nanami this morning, but nobody was in her room." Mizuki approached Tomoe from behind grabbing a mushroom off the counter. "Yes we arrived early this morning; Nanami needed a fresh pair of clothes. We stayed longer than anticipated, so she hadn't packed enough." Tomoe scooped all of the ingredients he had cut into a pot of boiling water. "So where have you been since?" Mizuki narrowed his eyes at him. A slight smile played across Tomoe's lips. "Nanami wanted to meet her friends. Something about school so I accompanied her." Tomoe formed some rice balls and began to place them on a tray. "Okay. Say, how long has it been since you have used a sword?" Mizuki popped another mushroom into his mouth. "A while, why?" Tomoe's voice was annoyed.  
"Oh I wanted to practice. Maybe we could take some time to hone our skills." With that, Mizuki left the kitchen; a scowl on his face 'He reeks of Nanami's scent.' As he neared the hall way Nanami approached him holding a pile of dirty clothes in one hand. "Hey Mizuki!" Nanami raised a hand in a small wave. "How was your week?"  
"Lonely." Mizuki lowered his head "Things are so quiet here without Nanami-sama." She placed a hand on his shoulder, "Hey let's have a cup of sake, and catch up!" She smiled warmly at him, and walked to her room. Mizuki grabbed a bottle of sake, and a few cups.  
Soon Nanami joined him on the back porch "This is the best place in the day time!" Nanami stretched and grabbed her cup. Mizuki grabbed the bottle and poured the golden liquid into her cup and his own. "You did a really good job taking care of the place while we were gone!" She smiled and took a sip of her drink. "Thank you." Mizuki's eyes narrowed at her, although she did not see the expression on his face. "An odd smell has been n the air lately."  
Nanami turned to look at him, trying to keep her expression even. "Oh really? What sort of smell?" A large smile appeared on his lips, "Oh I'm not sure! I just know that it isn't normal. It's probably an animal!" Before Nanami could answer, the door slid open and Tomoe emerged from the shrine holding a tray. "It is not good to drink on an empty stomach, Nanami." Mizuki's eyes narrowed at Tomoe. 'He excluded the -Sama.' "Tomoe, why don't you join us? Bring a cup!" Mizuki smiled once again as Tomoe placed the tray beside Nanami. She thanked him and he left to grab a cup. "I noticed there have been no mushrooms in your food lately." Mizuki refilled Nanami's cup. She had not responded, due to her mouth being full. Tomoe returned with his own cup, and Mizuki filled his as well.  
"It's so nice to see you two getting along." Nanami smiled at them both and began to eat again. "Well what can say Nanami, Tomoe is confrontational, but if you ignore him for the most part, what he says won't matter so much." Tomoe frowned at Mizuki's statement and Mizuki turned to him with an odd smile. "But lately Tomoe has been acting strange. I think that smell is him." Nanami froze, and Tomoe glared at Mizuki. "Nothing a bath won't help. I'm sure he has been very active lately, so he should take more care of himself. Nobody else will do it for him... Right, Nanami-chan?" Nanami turned to look at him, and was met with a cheerful smile. "Umm He doesn't smell bad. I think he is fine." Tomoe took another sip of his sake. "What are you saying snake? You smell as though you have not bathed since we left. This is no topic to be on while Nanami-sama eats." Silence fell upon the group as they all drank. When Nanami finished eating Tomoe took her tray inside. "Mizuki you're acting weird... What is wrong?"  
"Nothing at all. I'm just surprised at how long it took you to get back. I'm sure there was a good reason though. No matter, It's nice that you are back now."  
Later that night Tomoe and Mizuki had taken baths. While Mizuki was in the tub, Nanami and Tomoe met up. "Isn't he acting oddly?" Nanami asked. "Yes, but there is no proof that he knows about us, so let's continue to behave as we are. Until he finds something or accuses us, we are okay." Tomoe placed a hand on her hip. "What did you do with those clothes?" Nanami gazed up into his eyes. "They are in the corner of my laundry." Tomoe nodded. "Give them to me, I'm going to dispose of them properly." Nanami went to retrieve the clothes and found the rags in her hamper. 'That's odd; I thought I put them in this corner...'  
As she handed them to Tomoe, he lightly kissed her neck and left, headed to the backyard.  
"Hey Nanami, do you have any plans tonight?" Mizuki walked from the bathroom to her side. "No I'm just going to try to study. I need to catch up to the class." He grinned at her. "Okay, Tomoe and i are going to spend some time..." With that, he walked off, Nanami staring at him as he strolled away.  
'Something isn't right.'


	16. Chapter 16

"Go to sleep, Nanami."  
Nanami stared at Tomoe a concerned expression on her face. "But-" before she could get her sentence out Tomoe had scooped her into his arms and began to carry her to her bed. "Do not worry about us. Mizuki and i are just going to practice our swordsman ship. Nothing serious." Defeated she sunk her head into his chest, engulfed by the smell of sandalwood, and a musky sweat. "Tomoe, just be careful. You know I care about Mizuki, but he has been acting very strange. I don't know what he is going to do, but please don't hurt him." He chuckled at her statement. "He is not going to do anything. He just needs to blow off some steam." With that he laid her in her bed and pulled her covers up."Do you need your book?" Nanami stared up at him, wide eyed. "What?"

He smirked at her, "Your school books... Did you want to study?" Nanami let out a nervous breath and shook her head. "No I think I can pass the test tomorrow." Tomoe placed his hand on Nanami's cheek, and lightly brushed his fingers down to her chin. "Goodnight." He started towards the door and as he left she called behind him "Goodnight, Tomoe."

"So where do you want to practice?" Tomoe stood over Mizuki, his arms crossed and hands tucked into his sleeves as Mizuki sat on the porch two bokkens in his lap. Mizuki turned to look at him. "I was thinking out here should be good." Mizuki stood and shoved a bokken to Tomoe. "I couldn't find any real swords." Was all he said. Tomoe nodded, taking the bokken from his hand. "I know where some real swords are. Lets warm up first." They walked through the dew-moistened grass, illuminated by the bright moon light, with the sound of creatures stirring in the darkness of the forest. They stood facing each other with a good amount of distance in between them. "So where do you want to start?" Tomoe stood sideways, bokken in hand glancing at Mizuki over his shoulder with a calm, yet knowing smile. "There is no way to start... Let's just... Practice." Mizuki positioned himself, but Tomoe did not move. "C'mon!" Mizuki charged at him, swinging his bokken down wards, and it was met with the sturdy wood of another bokken. The sound of clashing wood broke through the silence of the night, as Mizuki gracefully swung at Tomoe easily leaping through the air. In return, Tomoe effortlessly pivoted out of the way of each blow, blocking all of Mizuki's attempts.

'As expected he is very serious. This is not training at all.' Tomoe thought as he breezed out of the way. "Okay I think we're all warmed up!" Mizuki jumped back, landing in his previous position. "You can get the swords now." He eyed Tomoe watching him move across the yard, and to the shed. 'That bastard hasn't said a single word!' Mizuki silently seethed. Tomoe returned with two sheathed swords. Handing one to Mizuki he smirked again saying "Be careful not to hurt yourself... It's sharp." Mizuki scowled at him. 'What am I a child?'Tomoe stepped back into his position and waited for Mizuki to continue "Practicing".

"Tomoe." Mizuki's lips curled into a sinister grin. "I know what you've done. You thought you could hide it. I should report you to the counsel of the gods." Tomoe's eyes widened and Mizuki charged at him once more. Metal collided as the two of them once again gracefully jumped around, almost like a dance, but far more lethal. 'He was holding back this whole time!' Their swords collided as Tomoe blocked a downward swing. Their faces were inches away, and n the moon light Tomoe saw something in Mizuki's eyes. A dark green glimmer sparked across his jade green eyes. "So it's jealousy eh, Mizuki?" Tomoe could barely avoid the next swing as he dodged to the right. A bit of blood trickled down his cheek. He reached up to feel the wound. 'Just a scratch...' He thought. Nanami's words echoed through his mind. 'Please don't hurt him!'

"Is it too much for you to take?" Mizuki eyed Tomoe. A laugh broke free from his lips. He laughed so hard he did not hear Tomoe charging at him. 'I can't play defensive this whole time!' With that thought, Tomoe raised his sword, knocking Mizuki's from his hands. Stunned Mizuki stepped back. "That was a dirty trick! You know I wasn't paying attention, but how could i expect less from the infamous fox?" He glared at Tomoe and shifted to a snake charging underground and emerging next to his sword. "It takes more than that to stump me." As he reached down to pick it up, Tomoe swung his sword at his hand, forcing Mizuki to pull his hand back, and barely grazing the skin of his arm. Kicking Mizuki's sword, He threw his own. "This is senseless; I've had enough of your foolishness, Snake." Tomoe Flashed a menacing stare at Mizuki, and Mizuki laughed in response. "So you give up?"

"This is not giving up. This is telling you that if I had tried at all tonight, you would be dead. Thank Nanami for sparing your life." Tomoe began to walk away, and felt something wet seep into the bottom of his pants. Before he knew what was happening, a burning sensation overcame his ankle and foot. "What the-" He turned to look. "Venom..." Mizuki smiled at him "You can't wash it off with conventional methods. I won't help you unless we finish." Burning with rage, Tomoe turned to face him. Before either of them know what happened he began to shoot his foxfire at Mizuki, Causing him to duck and run as quickly as possible.

'Where did he go?' Tomoe stopped to look around. The ground underneath him moved, and Mizuki emerged quickly transforming back into his human form. Tomoe began to punch at him, and Mizuki did the same, though most of the blows exchanged between them were dodged. 'I'm ending this mess.' Tomoe swept his leg under and around Mizuki's knocking him off balance. As he hit the ground, Tomoe grabbed him by his collar, and raised his claws, popping a few of his bones as he positioned them to rip Mizuki's throat out. He jabbed his claws at Mizuki, and a terrified scream pierced the night air.

Mizuki sat, panting on the ground, his face twisted in horror at the sight of Tomoe's claws, which had stopped only inches away from him. Tomoe's face was overcome with darkness, making it impossible to see his expression. "Be thankful... Consider this your loss." With that, Tomoe rose to his feet and entered the shrine, leaving Mizuki on the ground in a dazed state. 'I almost died... I almost died...' He could not think anything else except for the fact that he had lost. Lost Nanami, and anything else he had dreamed of. He wondered what would happen when Nanami found out about what just happened. Overcome with remorse he gathered the swords, and returned them to their place in the shed. He sat on the floor wondering what to do.  
'He could have killed me.'


	17. Chapter 17

A sharp cry awoke Nanami from her slumber, causing her to jolt straight up in her bed. 'What in the world was that?' Her sleepy mind was rushed with adrenaline combining into an uncomfortable state of mind. Her heart rapidly beat giving her a panicked sensation as she bolted from her room. She found Tomoe standing at the back sliding door, his cheek bleeding from a small cut. "What happened?!" She rushed to his side wiping the ruby liquid from his skin. "Nothing. Don't worry about it." He jerked away from her grunting in pain, leaving her standing alone at the back door. "Where is Mizuki?" her voice was high pitched and nervous. Tomoe did not answer her, just kept walking away. She saw that the bottom half of his pants were burnt away. More like melted, as there were no dark spots. She quickly slid the door open, scanning the yard for any sign of life. Crickets chirped in the distance, as she made her way to the shed.

"Mizuki?" she swung the door open, only to find him sitting on the floor, his head hanging into his hands."Mizuki are you okay?" He gazed up at her, his eyes full of sorrow. "What happened to you?" she asked reaching down to his face. He had bruises on his cheeks, there was a cut on his arm, and spots of his clothes were bunt black. "Nanami..." he started, a long pause between his words. "Please forgive me... It's my fault." She placed a hand on his shoulder."Come on, we need to treat your wounds." Before she could move, Mizuki pulled her into his lap, and began to softly sob onto her shoulder. "Yanomori told me I couldn't cry alone, but right now, I'm not..." She softly stroked his hair, as he hugged her close. "Why would you choose Tomoe? Why is he better than me?"  
Nanami tried to think of what to say. "It's not that i chose him over you... I feel as though him and I are connected from a past life. That has nothing to do with you Mizuki. It doesn't mean that he is better, it just means that there is somebody better for you." Nanami hugged Mizuki back, and they sat on the floor of the shed huddled together for what seemed like hours.

'Damn it!' Tomoe cursed in his mind as he tried to wash the burning venom off his ankle. Water made it burn more, and it dissolved any piece of fabric he dared touch it with. There was only one thing he could think of. 'Where is that salve?' Mikage used to have an old tin, which he kept a black greasy medicine in. It was the only thing Tomoe thought might get the venom off without the snake's help. Searching through an old cupboard, he found a silver tin. 'This must be it.' He opened it, and found the familiar black pomade. Applying it to his calf, ankle and foot, the burning sensation subsided. 'Just as I thought.' He walked to his room, carrying the tin with him as well. Laying on his bed he stared at the ceiling remembering the events of the previous night. He longed for Nanami to be laying beside him. 'I shouldn't have been so cold to her earlier.' The sound of a door sliding open was carried through the shrine. 'That Idiot must be coming back in. He would need Nanami to console him.' Tomoe turned over in his bed and closed his eyes. 'Serves him right.'  
"Okay come into the bathroom with me, I'm sure we have some gauze and cream to put on your scars." Nanami grabbed Mizuki's hand and led the way down the hall, past Tomoe's room. As they entered the bathroom, Nanami searched the small cabinet beside the bathtub. "Here we are!" She began to rub a sweet scented cream on Mizuki's cheeks, and his cut. Carefully she applied a small wrap around his arm. "Don't worry Mizuki, Everything will be okay." She flashed him a warm smile. Mizuki was lost in thought as she was covering his scratches, a dazed expression on his face. 'I've lost...' When Nanami had finished what she was doing, he was overcome with a longing sensation. He could not help himself any longer, and quickly captured her lips. She was stunned by his actions, as he began to walk her back against the wall; knocking the small container of medicine to the ground. 'Why does everybody keep doing this?' she thought as her body stiffened. Regaining control of herself, she pushed Mizuki back. "What are you doing, Mizuki?" she wore a startled expression as she peered up into his eyes. "Nanami let me prove to you that I can be better then Tomoe... I can show you, just come to my room with me." He grabbed her wrist, and began to kiss her neck. "MIZUKI-" Before she could get any more words out the door flung open. Tomoe stood in the doorway burning with anger. "Mizuki..." His voice was stern, and menacing. "We just settled this..." No sooner than he had spoken the words, he grabbed Mizuki's clothes and flung him back against the wall opposite of Nanami.  
Mizuki winced with pain. Everybody stared at him, and he became even more ashamed. Before anybody could say anything, he turned into a snake, and slithered away. Tomoe and Nanami stared at each other. "Tomoe, he's just lonely... You didn't have to be so harsh with him..." Nanami stared at the floor, trying to comprehend everything that had just happened. "Oh so you want me to apologize? You wanted him to drag you to his room, and make love to you? To prove that he is better than me? And you would have done it to make him feel better about himself?" Tomoe glared at her. "No! No that's not what I'm saying! I just meant-"

Tomoe placed his hands on the wall around her, causing Nanami's heartbeat to quicken. It was an intimidating motion, and she did not know f she should be scared of thankful that he had saved her. "Where did he touch you?" Tomoe demanded sounding more pissed then concerned. "He didn't-" Before she could finish her sentence, Tomoe attacked her with his lips, pinning her hands to the wall above her head with one of his hands. His free hand roamed over her body roughly squeezing her breasts, and wandering down to stroke her through her panties. Nanami gasped in an excited state of pleasure. "Do not let anybody but me touch you!" He hissed, exciting her further, and she arched her back pressing her body against his. Tomoe continued to stroke her, his hand gently but firmly holding hers. He lightly bit and kissed her neck. Nanami could not contain the moans that escaped her lips. Tomoe pulled her shirt down and placed his lips on her chest sucking hard, then moved to a spot on her neck and did the same. "Before you even think about letting anybody touch you again, remember who you belong to." With that, he let her go, and walked away. Nanami leaned against the wall her cheeks flushed, and panting.  
'I need to make him mad more often...'


	18. Chapter 18

"I barely knew anything on the test!" Nanami slumped in her seat an exasperated sigh slipping from her lips.

"Well at least it was a short one!" Ami laughed. "As long as you got at least 30 questions right, you'll pass!" Ami was trying to cheer her up, but to no avail. 'It must be because of last night.' Nanami thought to herself as Tomoe stood beside her. 'I wonder where Mizuki is?'

"let's go." Tomoe waited for her to stand and they left the class together walking towards the shrine. "So, how did you do?" Tomoe peered at her from the corner of his eyes. "Well, I think I did well enough to pass!" Nanami laughed. "I told you to study last night." His voice was slightly annoyed. They walked in silence the rest of the way.

As they entered the shrine, Nanami turned to Tomoe. "I wonder if Mizuki is back?" He shook his head in response. "I doubt it." Nanami retrieved one of the bottles of Mizuki's sake. 'I don't think he'll mind if I have a little bit...' She sat on the porch in silence hesitating to open the bottle. 'It doesn't feel right without Mizuki.' An hour passed and she remained that way, until Tomoe brought her a tray of food. "Thank you." He sat beside her as she ate. "Would you like me to pour you a cup, Nanami?" His voice was charming, and she responded with a slight nod and smile. Taking a sip of her sake, she turned to face Tomoe. "Ya know, it isn't the same here without Mizuki." She stared at the sky as she spoke her voice thoughtful, and dazed. Tomoe did not reply. He seemed angered by her words, but he did not express it on his face, nor verbally. "Well Nanami, I am sure that everything will be fine." With that, he rose to his feet and returned to the shrine, muttering something about chores.

The world was enveloped by the dark of night, and Nanami remained seated on the porch drinking alone. Tomoe had not come to retrieve her tray and she felt as though she had said something wrong. 'I'd better get back inside.' She thought to herself, tempted by the thought of a nice bubble bath. As she stood, she saw a white snake sitting by a tree, watching her. "Mizuki?" She walked to the snake and as she did, it slithered away into the bushes. "Wait, come back!" Following the snake, she was led deep into the forest. Transforming into himself Mizuki stood in front of Nanami, staring at her. "Mizuki I'm so glad you're okay! I was so worried, please come back! It's lonely without you!" Mizuki smiled softly. "But you have Tomoe..." Nanami peered at him. "Just come back..." A moment of silence passed, and Mizuki simply stared at her. "Are you saying that you're ready for me to prove myself?" Nanami's face flushed, and a lump formed in her throat. "Mizuki, you know that that isn't what I'm saying... I'm not that kind of girl..." Nanami took a small step back, as Mizuki approached her. "Just give me a minute; I can make you feel things he can't... I actually feel emotions like love." Mizuki reached out placing a hand on her shoulder.

The trees rustled on the breeze, as they stared at each other neither one saying a word. "Mizuki, it isn't like that... Tomoe has emotions... He just... Isn't good at expressing himself." Mizuki pulled Nanami to him, holding her in an embrace. "Nanami-" His voice caught in his throat. Before she could react Mizuki slid his leg behind hers, causing her to lose balance and topple backwards. "Just give me a minute." Was all he said as he ran his hands over her body. Nanami began to scramble away, but Mizuki just grabbed her legs and pulled her back. "Nanami, Don't be afraid of me, you know I would never hurt you." Mizuki crawled on top of her kissing her neck, and sliding his hand up her shirt. She moaned at the sensation, almost losing track of her thoughts. She felt him harden against her leg, and as he was reaching to her most private area, she regained composure. "Mizuki... Mizuki... STOP!" His hands snatched back as if he was being held at gunpoint. He rose to his knees and froze in place, a longing expression on his face. "Mizuki..." Nanami's voice was stern, as she uttered the magic laced command. "Go home... Now..." With that, he dropped his head and started to run in the direction of the shrine. Nanami walked behind him, brushing dead leaves off her uniform, and out of her hair. 'I need to take that bath now' she thought as she made her way back. The tray had been removed from her spot on the porch.

"Mizuki is back." Tomoe stood by the door as Nanami entered the shrine. He raised an eyebrow at her as she attempted to slink by him. "That's good." Was all she said, forcing a nervous smile. Tomoe grabbed her wrist pulling her back to him. She stared at him, as he pulled a brown leaf out of her hair. "Where have you been?" Tomoe glared down at her. "Well, I saw Mizuki, so I made him come back." Shifting her eyes to the ground, she began to walk away again. "You smell just like him, you have scratches on your thigh... _What_ did he do? What did _you_ do?" Nanami looked up at him. "Nothing happened." Tomoe's gaze did not shift. He dragged her into her room, his hand still gently but firmly clasped around her wrist. "Nanami, Tell me what happened." She took a deep breath before she spoke. "Tomoe, nothing happened. I followed him to the woods, and I tripped. That's all."

Annoyed, he raised his voice, "Then why do you smell like him?" The man pushed her against the wall, and placed a hand at her neck, as if to choke her. "He touched you didn't he? What did I tell you about that? Are you _trying_ to make me mad?" His eyes narrowed, and he slightly squeezed her neck, allowing his hand to slide down her body. "What happened to your thighs?" Nanami stared at him, in a warm state of drunkenness; filled with lust. "Tomoe..." She leaned forward capturing his lips. She was met with a rough kiss, which forced her back against the wall. He placed a hand behind her head, locking it in her hair, and leaned into her shoulder; forcing her tighter against the wall. "Your neck smells like him..." Tomoe pulled back from her. "He's been kissing your neck..." With that, Tomoe grabbed her wrist, and pulled her to the ground underneath him.

"What did I tell you, Nanami?" Obviously angered, he began to roughly slide his hands over her body, pinching her nipples, and biting her neck. Nanami cried out in ecstasy as Tomoe dominated her. "So? What did I tell you Nanami? _Say_ it!" He increased the pressure on her neck, causing her to loudly. "You said-" Her voice caught as she tried to stifle a moan. "Not to Let- anybody- Ohhhh Tomoe!" He snatched her skirt and panties down, quickly removing his own pants to reveal himself, already fully erect. As Nanami squirmed beneath him, he reached to stroke her, and his fingers were met with a creamy wetness. He raised his fingers to his lips, to show her. "So you _enjoy_ being treated like this?" He narrowed his eyes at her, running his tongue over his fingers. Nanami did not answer him. Her cheeks flushed, and she looked away. He waited for her response. Seeing that he would not get one, he rose to his feet "I guess you don't." He smirked down at her as she panted on the ground.

"I'll run your bath for you." He started towards the door. Before his hand even touched it, Nanami had sat up. "Wait..." He stopped in the doorway, his eyes shifting to look at her over his shoulder. "Don't stop yet." Nanami pleaded, removing her shirt. She remained seated on the floor with nothing but her bra and long socks on. "Nanami, I don't want to do anything you don't want... You just need to be punished every now and again. Consider that your punishment." She could not see the devious grin that had spread across Tomoe's face as he pulled his pants back over himself. "But you want it too." Tomoe did not respond, he just remained at the door. "I told you not to let anybody touch you, Nanami. You did not listen, so now you have to be teased. If you weren't so grieved earlier, we would have had time to do this." Nanami had had enough of him doing this and leaving right before anything happened. _"Tomoe, Get over here and finish what you just started... And don't try to hold back." _She could not even finish the last part of her command before he had rushed over to her. He stood on his knees, and grabbed her leg, pulled her to his lap. With a conflicted look on his face, he ran his nails over her side. He bit her thigh, which was resting on his shoulder. "You asked for this..." Was all he said to her, causing her heart to race with excitement.

'She shouldn't have told me not to control myself...'


	19. Chapter 19

Tomoe could not contain himself, he was overcome with raw instinct, and his hands roamed randomly over Nanami's velvet skin, causing her to call out in pleasure. For once, he did not concern himself with the volume of her moans.

Nanami was flooded with an abundance of sensations, as Tomoe roughly caressed her body. His nails had started to scratch her skin, and they passionately ravished each other. Her hands indulged in the curves of his lean muscles, as he ripped the last item of clothing that clung to her skin, freeing her breasts from their cage. She moaned as his lips danced over her nipples. Tomoe's eyes held an expression that she had only seen once before, the first time that they had ever been together. She remembered the fear she felt back then, and it turned her on beyond belief. She moaned loudly as he grabbed her by her hips and pulled her on top of him. She placed her hands on his chest, leaning on him as he positioned himself underneath her. Without warning, he quickly pulled her down onto him, causing her to cry out, half way in pain, but mixed with a thrilling sense of pleasure that she had never felt before. She felt a hand barely slide across the skin of her back.

She could not control the moans that escaped her, and she looked down to see both of Tomoe's hands on her hips, driving himself deeper inside of her. Startled she turned around to find Mizuki standing behind her. He was disrobing himself, and as his clothes fell in a heap around his feet, he gently cupped Nanami in one hand, letting the other fall on her shoulder, pushing her down in a rhythm. "Mizuki? What are you-" Before she could finish her sentence, his lips locked to hers. He reached down rubbing her clit causing her to moan into his lips, as their tongues began to mingle. They both grabbed her positioning her on her hands and knees, Tomoe began to enter her again, while Mizuki moved in front of her. He caressed her cheek, as she moaned. "Come on Nanami." He held himself to her lips and she began to take him into her mouth. He lightly moaned. Tomoe's claws dug into the flesh of her hips, as he pushed himself farther into her.

Nanami was astonished that this was happening, the pain and pleasure of Tomoe, and the gentleness of Mizuki combined caused sensations that brought her mind to a complete halt. Mizuki softly rubbed his hand through her hair, as she wrapped her arms around his thighs pulling him deeper into her throat, causing her to choke slightly. She felt herself slipping into her wildest desires, and Tomoe and Mizuki began to reposition her again. There was no need for her to move, it was as if their minds were connected. They grabbed her legs and arms lifting her and placing her how they wanted. Mizuki laid below her, and as she stared down at him, she felt Tomoe place a hand on her back. Mizuki entered her, and his hand slid over her breasts. Tomoe bent down running his tongue down her neck and spine, and Mizuki leaned up his lips gently grazing over her neck. To her surprise, she felt Tomoe place himself at an entrance that had never been penetrated before. "Tomoe! W- What are you-" The man pulled her hair, arching her back. She felt his warm breath on her neck. "You said not to control myself didn't you?" Though she was obviously panicked, Mizuki smirked up at her. "Wait! We've never-" Nanami felt him apply pressure to her, as the head of his member began to work its way into her most forbidden place. As he eased himself into her, a scream erupted from her lungs. Mizuki simultaneously stroked himself into her causing her to squirm uncontrollably. The silence of the night was replaced with the unmanageable moans of desire, as she felt her world shift into a blurred fit of passion and sensations that caused her to reach her limit.

"Unhh, I'm going to-" The words felt as if they were forced from her lungs, causing Nanami to sit straight up. She stared in silence at the darkness that surrounded her. Looking down she saw that she was in her bed, and the shrine was filled with the sound of chirping crickets in the distance. 'A dream?' She sighed, and laid back down in her bed. She felt a deep warmth between her legs and she longed to fall back into the world of dreams. 'Why did it have to be a dream?' Stretching, she moaned slightly, at the thought of the dream. Her body tingled with arousal, and she slipped her hand between her breasts, and to her thighs. She gently began to rub the lips of her most intimate place. 'Tomoe doesn't know what he's missing.' She thought to herself as she felt her own warmth. 'How did I get here?' She wondered. Slipping a finger inside, the dream was still fresh in her memory and she began to stroke herself. "Mmm..." Slight moans filled the silence that had claimed the room. She began to increase her pace, reaching a state of ecstasy that only encouraged her to go farther. Sighing deeply she felt a small wave of pleasure as she released some of the tension that had built over the course of her fantasy. Reaching another small climax, her body untensed, and she laid back in her bed, unable to clear her mind of the dream that left her craving more. As she relaxed, her door slid open.

"Nanami? Are you okay?" Tomoe stood in the door way.

"Now I am." She chuckled slightly.

"What is that smell? What have you been doing?" Tomoe approached her bedside.

"Oh, nothing! I just had an odd dream."

"About me?" He leaned down by her side.

"Not really! It was nothing!" Another slight chuckled escaped her.

Tomoe's ears twitched in annoyance.

'Revenge is a dish best served cold!' Nanami though to herself as she turned over to return to sleep.


	20. Chapter 20

The pale moonlight shining through the windows illuminated Nanami's figure, as she laid in her bed. Tomoe watched her as she drifted off to sleep, wondering what exactly had happened. He did not understand why Nanami had responded to him in such a manner, seeing as to how he had to carry her into her room after she fell asleep on the porch. Aggravated by the abruptness of their interaction, he could still smell her in the air. She had definitely been aroused, and probably did something herself, but when he offered to "lend her a hand" (or maybe something else), she seemed uninterested. She sighed deeply, signaling that she was fully immersed in her slumber. Leaning over Tomoe softly kissed her neck, lowering his hand beneath the covers. Gliding his fingers over her skin, he felt himself throb in excitement. She stirred slightly, and he recoiled, not wanted her to wake, as she did not seem to be in the best of moods.

Nanami attempted to fall back into her dream. She longed to experience the feelings that had taken her until the end. Feeling something soft slide up her body and a warm tongue tease her nipples, it was clear that she had fallen into another fantasy. It was so gentle that it could only be one person causing her body to writhe with pleasure. He was between her legs, gently kissing her thighs, and a familiar scent surrounded her, making her feel secure. Welcoming the warmth, she pulled his hand up to her chest. "Mizuki..." Everything around her stopped. She no longer felt the lips and tongue on her skin, but the hand was still against her.

"Oww!" A sharp jolt of pain forced her up as she opened her eyes to find Tomoe. Her thigh was on his shoulder, and two small puncture wounds trickled a bit of blood. "Tomoe..?"His mouth was still open and the tips of his fangs were coated with a dark liquid. He scowled at her, as she stared at him wide eyed in disbelief. He angrily rose to his feet, and before she could utter a single word, her door was slammed shut.

'Oh, no... What do I do? What can I say to him?' Frozen in place her eyes shifted from her thigh, to the door. She pondered if she should go and try to talk to him, playing out scenarios in her mind, none of them ended well. The only thing she could think to do was write everything in her book. She lay in bed, her eyes welling with tears at the thought of the events that had just transpired. Overcome with a sudden exhaustion she wrote out her dream, and of course the details of her slip up with Tomoe. _'How could I be so stupid? I should have know it was him!' _was the last thing she wrote, as she felt the need to hibernate grow stronger. After retying the string around her diary, she pulled the covers over her head. 'Baka!' Scolding herself, she found it hard to relax, but 30 minutes later she fell back to dreamland.

Tomoe sat on his bed. He replayed the scene in his mind again, and again, only further agitating himself. 'How could she call me that snake's name? Why would she think that it was him doing something like that?' He laid back, not knowing what to do. A twinging feeling of betrayal crept over him. He did not know if she wanted Mizuki more, or if she was having another dying dream, or something, but he had been sure she was still slightly awake. He was going to wake her so when she started to stir he had not stopped. It was obvious that she was horny, and he could not have let her stay that way, but then she did _that_.

'This should not affect me so much. It was wrong from the beginning, and I knew it.' Tomoe tried to console himself, but to no avail. He was overcome with a painful emotion that he could not understand. He had no name for it, he had never felt it before, but he knew that it would not go away any time soon.


	21. Chapter 21

The hazy world beckoned Nanami to awaken from her slumber, but she still felt exhausted. Stirring slightly, she turned over, a beam of light landing across her eyes, forcing her to move. She sat up, stretching, and thinking of the events of the previous night. 'Maybe now is a good time to talk to him.' she thought as she rose to her feet. Not a single sound broke the silence of the shrine, and it seemed almost eerie as she made her way to the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and her hair, trying to think of something she could say. Her mind was blank, but she figured she still needed to try. 'There are no sounds coming from the kitchen.' she thought. Peeking in the yard, she saw that it was empty. 'He must be in his room.' She walked into the hallway and stood outside of the door. Her mouth grew dry, and she felt her limbs stiffen. 'I've got to talk to him...' Her hand settled on the door knob. She heard something move in his room maybe a window. Swallowing hard she willed herself to speak. "Tomoe? I need to talk to you! Please just-" As she opened the door, she found the room was empty, except for Onikiri and Kotetsu, who remained in the air as they turned to look at her.

"Nanami-sama! Master Tomoe-dono is gone!" She was startled by the frantic looks on their masks, and the urgent tone of voice they used. Not knowing what to say she walked past them and sat on his bed. "Where do you think he went?" She asked trying to sound calm, but in an internal state of panic. "We don't know!" They cried in unison. After an hour or two of sitting on the bed, and talking to Onikiri and Kotetsu, Nanami was even more drained then when she woke up. A splitting headache started in the back of her head, and began to claim the front as well. She curled into a ball pulling Tomoe's covers around her. 'It smells just like him...'

Onikiri and Kotetsu did not know whether they should try to talk to her or not. It was clear that she was in a stae of distress, so they left the room. "Let's try to make some sake for her. She has been drinking more often now, so that should cheer her up!" Onikiri tugged Kotetsu's sleeve. "That's a great idea!" So they went to the kitchen. Half an hour later, they sat on the floor over a bowl of black liquid. "How did that happen?" Kotetsu peered at the bowl. "It could still be delicious! I'll try some!" Onikiri raised a ladle to his lips, taking a small sip. His eyes bulged and he slumped back on the wall. "It tastes burnt... We can't present this to Nanami-sama." They dumped the liquid out in the yard. "Let's do the chores!" Onikiri grabbed Kotetsu and they went to the yard to pull all of the weeds.

Nanami stood up. 'My head is killing me!' She made her way into the kitchen to make some jasmine tea. After warming the water, she placed a teabag in it and watched the golden color seep into the water. 'Where did you two go?' She heard the door open and her heart started to race. Briskly walking to the doorway she saw Onikiri and Kotetsu coming inside. "Nanami-sama the yard is clean!" They beamed, smiling at her. "Thank you." was all she said. 'All of that excitement for nothing.'

"Let's play a game!" Kotetsu grabbed Nanami and Onikiri slid the door open in front of her. "What kind of game?" Nanami asked. "Hide and seek!" they cried in unison. "Okay..." Nanami waited for them to hide, but they did not move. "I'll look for you, you two go hide." Kotetsu said, turning her back. "Okay!" Onikiri responded grabbing Nanami's sleeve. "Come on Nanami-sama!" They began to run in the same direction, Nanami turned to Onikiri. "Don't we have to spit up? If we stay in the same place we'll get caught at the same time." Onikiri looked surprised. "Oh! You're right! I'll go this way!" He called gracefully floating to the left. Nanami looked around, 'Maybe if I hide behind this bush...' As she squatted down, getting as close as she possible could without pricking herself on the thorns; she noticed a small piece of white cloth. Reaching to it she pulled it out of the leaves. "Mizuki..." her voice was a low whisper, and she felt as if his name would break if she said it any louder. The cloth was not dirty, so it could not have been there long. She quickly hugged closer to the bush as Kotetsu floated by. When she was out of sight, she took off in the direction of the forest. 'He must be somewhere nearby!' She ran through the trees, the sound of dead leaves crunching under her feet. The cool wind nipped at her nose and cheeks, and her hair floated behind her. Her legs began to grow tired, and her lungs felt as if they would burst. She soon had to stop, and she placed her hands on her knees, panting. 'Where is he?'

She did not think to look up into the golden trees. If she had, she would have seen the white snake watching her, perched atop a large branch. She began to make her way back. 'Of course he's not here.' She thought to herself. As she approached the door of the shrine, Onikiri and Kotetsu floated around her. "You did the best Nanami-sama! Nobody could find you, you win!" Wide smiles were spread across their faces, and she just wearily passed by them, and through the door. They stared after her. "Let's make her some food!" Kotetsu began to float into the shrine, and Onikiri followed her. Nanami sat on her bead scribbling the day's events in her book. Her headache had subsided and was replaced by a light throbbing sensation. It was not as painful as before, and she welcomed the small amount of pain compared to what she experienced before. The sky grew dark, and she heard Onikiri and Kotetsu calling her name. The door opened and they brought a tray to her side. She stared at the burnt black crisps of food that were covered in soy sauce. The only thing that was edible was a small salad that was in a bowl on the side of the tray.

'I can't stay like this forever, I need to go out. I need to do something. Maybe I should have gone to school today...'


	22. Chapter 22

Class did not feel the same. Nanami could not concentrate on what the teacher was saying, and the other students were making her uncomfortable. "Hey Nanami!" A small group of cute girls approached her. "Where is Tomoe? Did he get sick again?" She stared at them, not sure how to respond. "Umm, yeah... He did." The girls seemed let down, and the friendliness they had shown her seemed to crack. "Well, we can't wait for him to get better. Sure hope you didn't do anything to him." She turned to look at them, and was met with four menacing glares. She flashed them an awkward smile, and waved her hand at them. "No, No... It's nothing like that!" They walked away muttering about her under their breath.

_"Why does he even hang around her?" _

_"She's not even pretty!"_

_"It's not fair! I'm way more suited for him!"_

'How cruel.' She laid her head down on her desk, staring out of the window. The tree was a golden color, and she watched the leaves fall to the ground gently carried on the breeze. 'Maybe they're right...'

"What is wrong with you, Nanami?" Tomoe stood only inches from her face. "Tomoe? Where have you been?" She reached to embrace him, only to find that she could not move her body. "Oh now you care? You have not even looked for me! Do you expect me to always come running back to you?" She was taken aback at his words, and did not know how to respond. "No, that's not it! I need to talk to you!" His eyes narrowed. "You don't want me! You want _him_!" Her body was whisked around. She had not noticed that somebody was standing behind her. Mizuki smiled at her. "It's okay Nanami! We would make a better couple anyway!" Turned back around, she was met with Tomoe's glare. "So who is it? Who do you want?" She did not say anything. Even if she had wanted to respond, she could not. "Tomoe, it's not fair to put her in that position!" "Shut up Mizuki!" They argued and yelled over each other causing Nanami's head to spin. "Nanami already rejected me for you Tomoe.'' Mizuki sighed. "She called me _your _name!" Tomoe sneered back. "Stop it you two! I love you both!" There was nothing but silence. "How selfish." they said in unison, walking away. "Yukiji wasn't even this ridiculous." Tomoe's voice got farther away, as Nanami stood in silence, mortified by her own words in a combination with the cold nature of his, and Mizuki's.

"Nanami." She stirred slightly as she felt a hand on her shoulder gently nudge her. "Tomoe?" Picking her head up, she turned to see Karuma. "No, better... Me!" She wiped her eyes. "When did I fall asleep?" "You've been asleep all day! Where are your pets?" He chuckled slightly, as she sat up. "I don't know. They ran away..." Karuma look startled, but quickly covered the expression with a smile. "Well that's what happens when you forget to feed them!" She did not laugh. She did not do anything. "Hey I'll give you a ride home." Karuma grabbed her bag for her, and she nodded. On the way to the car, she received an abundance of dirty looks; girls covered their mouths as they whispered to their friends. Everybody looked angry. "It's over here." He walked to the car and opened the door for her. She stepped in and he closed the door behind her. She watched him as he walked around the hood of the car. Opening his door, he smiled at her and sat in the driver seat. Girls glared at them as he started the car and pulled through the space.

"So Nanami, I'm sure that you're a bit stressed right now, but do you mind telling me why they left you." Nanami remained quiet. "I don't want to talk about it... It's complicated." He turned to look at her from the corner of his eyes. "Okay." They proceeded down the street in silence until Nanami became confused. "You missed the turn to the shrine..." She turned to look at Karuma who was smiling. "I know a better place to go." Another 10 minutes passed and he finally stopped the car. "Isn't this where you live?" Nanami asked. She had been there once before, with Tomoe, but now it seemed smaller. "Come inside!"

Nanami sat on his bed as he walked to the kitchen. He soon emerged with two cans of cold coffee. "So what are you going to do?" He sat beside her, and popped the can open. "I'm not sure..." She mimicked his motion and took a sip of her coffee. "This is the gourmet kind..." She gazed dreamily at the can reading the ingredients, and studying the pictures. "Nanami, I have a concert coming up. It's at the stadium just down the street from here. Do you want to come? I'll get you a front row seat." She thought about it for moment. 'I did say i needed to get out.' after 30 seconds of contemplating his offer she agreed. Karuma laughed. "I knew you would say yes! Now, I have one favor to ask you."

That night she returned to the shrine to find everything exactly how she left it. It did not surprise her that they had not come back yet. 'Pose as his girlfriend huh?' The thought tickled her, as she made her way to the kitchen. Onikiri and Kotetsu were looking in the refrigerator. "Nanami-sama! Nanami-sama!" "Hey you two!" She smiled warmly as the floated around her. "I'll cook my own dinner tonight! So you two don't worry about it. If you want to help, then help me clean up after i eat." They nodded, and stared at her oddly. On her way back home Karuma ran her b the convenience store, and bought her some cup noodles. Now she poured the hot water into them and waited for them to soften.

After five minutes, she hungrily scarfed them down. 'It doesn't compare to Tomoe's cooking.' When she finished eating, she proceeded to wash the walls, and weed the yard. With Onikiri and Kotetsu's help it went by much faster than if she had done it alone. 'This place is becoming more run down by the day... It must be because of Tomoe's magic...' That night it was difficult to fall asleep, and when she finally did, she had nothing but nightmares of Tomoe and Mizuki. She restlessly tossed and turned all night.

"Good morning Nanami-sama!" Every morning Onikiri and Kotetsu had made a habit of being extra cheerful. It was relieving, and reminded Nanami that even if it felt as though her world was dividing, she should still wear a smile, and try as hard as she could. A week had passed, and she still had not seen Tomoe or Mizuki. Every day it seemed as though Tomoe's magic on the shrine grew weaker. The walls became a dingy wood, and the floors grew thin and unstable, but she resolved that she would not let it bother her.

She could not give up.


	23. Chapter 23

The soft morning light caressed Nanami's cheek as she walked to school. It was slightly chilly outside, and she had a light coat wrapped around her shoulders. A flashy car rolled up beside her, and the window rolled down. Inside was Karuma his Auburn brown hair illuminated by a ray of light.

"Hey Nanami. Get in; I'll give you a lift!"

Without even thinking about it she walked around to the passenger side. This had become a habit since Tomoe and Mizuki left. The days seemed to melt together, and the only comfort she could find was in his company. "So the concert is tonight!" His voice was filled with excitement and passion. "Are you looking forward to seeing me on stage?" He grinned at her causing her to chuckle slightly. "Sure..." A content smile spread across her face. 'It's better than staying at the shrine'

The school day seemed to drag on. Everything moved in slow motion around her, and the pain she felt from the events that had transpired with Tomoe, and Mizuki, had begun to fade into a dull ache in her heart. She had not spoken to them. She had not even seen them and it seemed as though she would never see them again. She wondered if they would ever come back to her, but felt too embarrassed to even try to look for them. What would she say? What could she possibly do to show them how truly sorry she was? It did not seem as though anything could help.

"Nanami, we have four hours to get ready after this. Would you like to come with me?" Karuma stood next to her breaking her chain of thought. "Sure!" She forced a smile. 'Will I have to fake all of my smiles for the rest of my life?' She tried to shake the thought from her mind. "Will it really take that long to get ready though?" Karuma turned to look at her an obnoxious smile on his face. "Of course! How could it possibly take any less time? Four hours is barely even enough!" She stared at him oddly. 'What could he possibly be doing for four hours?'

After school, they got into his car, and he drove her to an upscale department store. "Let's get you something to wear first." Karuma walked around the car, and opened the door for her, extending his hand. She reached, placing her hand in his own, and he gently led her from the car and into the doors of the store. As Nanami looked around, she felt as though her senses were on over drive. The smell of many perfumes hung in the air, and she suppressed the urge to cringe. There were many different dresses and outfits, but she could not find anything below 50,000 Yen. She turned to speak with Karuma and found that he was busy chatting with a sales associate. The young woman smiled at her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Right this way Ma'am." Nanami followed the woman, up a flight of stairs and to a dressing room, Karuma leisurely trailing behind them. "Okay just wait here, we have your outfits in the back, Master Karuma will pick the best one." With that, the young woman left. Nanami sat on a small bench overwhelmed. 'He already picked something out? I wonder what it is?' She heard voices outside of the small room, but she could not quite hear what they were saying, something about a theme.

A few minutes passed before Nanami heard a knock at the dressing room door. "Here we are!" Five different kimonos were handed to her through the door, and she stared at them in awe 'These designs are so intricate! They must be worth a fortune!' As she pulled a kimono on she noticed that it was different... Edgy, even. It was lower cut than normal, there was a slit up to her thigh, and it was a navy blue color. 'It's cute, but...' she felt she could never wear something like this in public! Her gaze shifted to the other kimonos, Black, red, white, and purple. They seemed as if they were more revealing than the one she already had on. 'I think I'll stick with this...'

Emerging from the small room, she saw Karuma sitting on a small chair. He donned a red and black kimono that seemed edgy as well. The arms were much longer the usual, and it was baggy. "Nice choice." He grinned oddly at her. "Here put this on as well." He reached to a small bag beside him, and pulled a bra out. "What is that?" Nanami stared dumbfounded at his gesture. "Just put it on." He laughed as she was ushered back into the dressing room. 'Extra padded? That weirdo!'

After they left Karuma drove to the stadium where they were ushered into hair and makeup. Nanami had never been treated like this, but she figured she should enjoy it while she could.

"Five minutes!" A man ran by all of the rooms, yelling the amount of time they had left. Nanami stared at her reflection as a woman came to her side. "Come on we have to get you to your seat!"

The audience was packed and Nanami could barely even get to her spot, even though it was reserved. Girls and women of all ages screamed and there was a constant chatter behind her. The sea of people began to cheer as the curtains lifted, and mist rolled from the stage. When Karuma was visible, the noise only grew.

Nanami had been feeling increasingly uncomfortable since they had left the school. 'Why did I even agree to this?'


	24. Chapter 24

Colorful rays of light pierced the darkness and illuminated the fog that poured from the stage. Karuma sang and danced, causing women of all ages to swoon and scream. The crowd was never silent, unless he stopped in between songs to speak. Hours had passed and when Karuma finally finished the song he was singing everybody clapped.  
"I have a very special somebody to introduce to you all!" The crowd grew quiet as they stared up at him.

"This is a very special lady, and I want you to be nice to her okay?" People cheered in response and butterflies began to dance in Nanami's stomach. "Without further ado, come on up babe!" The crowd roared as two spot lights landed on Nanami. She was almost blinded as she made her way to the stage. Before she could get to the steps, Karuma extended a hand below to her, and pulled her up. The noise that was coming from the audience was so loud Nanami wondered if they could even hear themselves. "This is Nami, and she's very special to me! We've been together for almost a year now, and I've never met anybody like her; _I'm sure she's never met anybody like me either_." Nanami was so nervous she could not even think straight. She felt awkward, and did not want to move much, as her body seemed to grow stiff. "Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her!" The crowd began to chant, making Nanami even more nervous. Karuma narrowed his eyes at her, a smirk on his face. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he pulled her close. "Just follow my lead..." He spoke away from the microphone, so she was the only one to hear him. "Don't be nervous." He smiled and inched closer to her. Leaning into her, he placed his lips just beside hers and dipped her back. She felt like she was going to fall, but Karuma's strong arms lent her support, and the comfort she longed for. It had been so long since she had last been held, and just as she felt as though she would melt, he swooped her back up to her feet. The crowd cheered the whole time, which only caused her heart to beat faster.

After the concert, Nanami sat at the bar, of a hotel lounge that the after party was held in. A Tall well built man entered the room. "Good work out there Karuma! You really had them excited!" Karuma seemed surprised and stepped aside to talk to him. They spoke in hushed tones, not that Nanami cared what they were saying anyway. "Smoothies! Barkeep, make your special smoothies!" The Bar tender nodded and began to chop various fruits into small pieces.

The man sat beside her, and removed his watch from his wrist. He proceeded to shake it listening closely. "Hey Miss... Do you have the time?" Nanami turned to look at him. "Yes, let me get my phone." She rummaged around in a small bag she had brought with her until she saw the pink device hiding in the bottom. "It's 10:47." He thanked her, grabbing a glass the bar keeper placed in front on him. After a moment of silence, he turned back to her. "You know, I never seem to be able to find a good watch that keeps the time! They're so hard to find. I would buy a good one, but who has a million yen just sitting around their house!" He laughed, and she forced a small chuckle out. "My name is Akihito, nice to meet you!" He smiled warmly. Nanami returned his smile, and raised her hand into a small wave. "I'm Nanami, nice to meet you as well."

'This guy is kind of weird.' she thought. Out of the corner of her eye, she studied him. He had strong shoulders, dark brown hair, and was very well built. He seemed like a well put together man, dressed very nicely in a well fitting business suit and just a handsome man over all. "Nanami, would you like a smoothie?" She turned to face him. 'Why is he speaking to me in such a familiar manner?'

"Sure... Hey Karuma, do you want a smoothie too?" Karuma turned to look at her. "Of course Nanami." A cocky smile spread across his lips and began to walk to her side. Akihito glared at him. Moments later, he dug a white box out of his pocket, and placed a cigarette between his lips. Nanami watched him as he lit it. 'It smells like Tomoe's pipe...' She had begun to drink the thick fruity concoction from the glass the barkeeper had given her. Karuma sat beside her, and did the same. Before long, she felt her teeth become numb, and the urge to pee. Excusing herself, she made her way to the nearest ladies room.

"So is she really your girlfriend?" Akihito peered at Karuma who shook his head in response.

Nanami thought she had seen somebody in the hallway on her way to the bathroom. Somebody with a hat on in the hallway, but had paid them no attention she did not care. Upon exiting the restroom, she saw Akihito leaning on the wall. "What are you doing here?" She gazed at him as he straightened himself. "Waiting for you of course! This place is lame, what do you say we get out of here?" He narrowed his dark eyes at her, causing her face to flush. "Where's Karuma? I'm here with him, so I can't leave him." She began to walk past him, but he quickly snatched her wrist, turning her to face himself. "Karuma is lame; let me show you a good time sweetie... Just you and me..." she felt his warm breath on her face and tried to lean back and away from him. "No, just let me go... Please, I need to get back to Karuma, I'm his girlfriend and he'll be very mad if I don't come back!" As he pulled her closed; his large figure loomed over her. "Cut the crap sweets, I know the truth... Now stop playing hard to get... Karuma won't hear you, he was feeling a little... Tired. I have a room just down the hall"

Nanami was pumped with adrenaline, and her vision became cloudy. She struggled to free her wrist, as her hand grew numb from his iron grasp. "Stop! Please! Just let me go!" He peered at her over his shoulder as he began to drag her down the hallway. "You're getting too loud sweetie." He raised a hand to her. "I guess I'll have to make you lower your voice." Nanami cringed as she prepared herself for what was coming. She closed her eyes so not to see the man's large hand strike her. Before she knew it the man cried out in pain. "What the-" her wrist was jerked in an odd motion and she was released. "A snake bite?!" Akihito sat on the floor holding his ankle and staring in disbelief. Nanami was grabbed and pulled in the opposite direction of Akihito. Confused, she turned to see who was saving her. His white hair moved in the slight breeze and he stared at her with a mischievous smile.

"Mizuki?"


	25. Chapter 25

The door to the bar startled Nanami as it flung open right before her and Mizuki reached it. "AKIHITO!" Karuma stood in the doorway, his black wings fully extended. "Karuma! That creep tried to attack Nanami!" They ran into the bar and Karuma began to walk down the hallway towards the man who was still sitting on the floor watching his ankle swell. "How dare you!" Nanami watched as Karuma's voice reached a menacing tone. Before she could object, Mizuki shut the door. "Nanami, what are you doing here alone?" She stared at him wishing her head would clear. "Is this another dream?" Mizuki raised his eyebrow staring at her oddly. "No... Now answer me!" She dropped her head as she heard the voices in the hall way grow louder, one yelling insults and the other denying doing anything. "Tomoe left me... I made a mistake..." Mizuki motioned for her to sit and lowered himself beside her. "What happened?" Nanami's eyes filled with hot tears, the tears she had promised herself that she would lock away deep inside of her heart. "I... I..." She felt as though her words would choke her and the embarrassment made her turn away. "Called him your name..." Silence fell over the two as Mizuki stared at her, wide eyed. A crash in the hallway broke the heavy air of speechlessness. Karuma opened the door, and pulled his phone from his pocket.

"Yes we need an ambulance to come to our location... Yes... There's been a snake bite... Okay the address is..."

Nanami and Mizuki stared at him. "Hey Mizuki... How did you know I was here?" He looked at her. "Well when I went back to the shrine Kotetsu and Onikiri told me you went to a concert with the crow. When I got there, it was over and everybody was talking about his girlfriend Nami, and I saw you get in his car. So I followed you here. I wanted to apologize for leaving for so long, but I needed time to think... So I waited. I was going to follow you home, and tell you then but you got into some trouble, so..." She nodded. "Thank you, you don't need to apologize... It's okay." He smiled in response. "Well Nanami, I see your pet came back... The ambulance and police are on the way. You two might want to get out of here." Karuma stared at them with an irritated expression. "Karuma he said you were asleep, how did you get up so fast?" He placed his hand on his head and rolled his eyes as if to say _'That's a dumb question'. _"The bastard sprinkled some fairy dust on me, not knowing that tengu are somewhat immune to it. We only sleep for about 5 minutes. Now you two should hurry." They nodded and Mizuki's snake appeared. "Oh I almost forgot..." Mizuki walked over to the bar, and grabbed a cup as his eyes settled on the sleeping bar keep. Extending his fangs, he shot his venom into the glass. "So they can make the anti-venom." With that, him and Nanami climbed onto the snake and shot off into the cool night air.

"I'm so glad you came back! I wonder where Tomoe is?" Mizuki did not answer, just smiled at her. His smile unnerved her, and she stared down to the city below. "So did you really call him my name, Nanami?" Her face began to burn and she nodded. "And I never got to apologize..." The pale moon peeked at them from beyond the clouds. With an air of drunkenness surrounding her, Nanami felt as though she might fall. They neared the shrine and Mizuki stared at her as she tightly held herself against the snake. They entered the shrine and Nanami declined Mizuki's offer to help her into bed. She longed to record today's events in her diary. It had become her only outlet, and she fully immersed herself in writing now. She had written her woes, and fantasies, everything that she felt too deep to reveal to the ones she held dear to her heart. The book had become her closest friend in the absence of her familiars, and she was thankful for the time she had to sort everything out.

Entering her room, she looked on her table for her diary, only to realize; 'It's not here!' Frantic, she checked every surface and drawer she could think of, to no avail. Soon she was exhausted; she lowered herself into her bed. When she laid back onto her pillow her head was met with a sturdy 'Thump'. Confused she reached under her pillow and found her book. 'I definitely didn't put this here!' She untied the ribbon and flipped through the pages she had written. 'Somebody read it! Somebody found it!' She panicked and grabbed her pen. Writing everything she could think of, she made sure to write of how somebody has broken into her most private thoughts. She almost closed the book, before she saw it, but her eyes briefly caught a glimpse of something strange. She knew she had not put it there, and she began to quickly flip through the pages until it fell into her lap.

'What is this?"


	26. Chapter 26

On the night that Tomoe left, he laid in his bed contemplating what he should do. 'How could she? Why would she do this to me? What would make her call Mizuki's name?' He tried to sleep, and restlessly tossed and turned. 'I have got to figure this out.' He rose to his feet, and opened his window, feeling the need for fresh air. Pacing beside his bed his lungs were filled with the crisp night air, it was moist with dew, and caused his anger to subside. He began to feel a calm sensation that he welcomed, overtake his body. 'There's only one place Mizuki would be... It is late, so I need to make this quick.' With that, he opened a portal and stepped into the other world. He traveled in the darkness, passing small groups of demons on his way. There was a hushed chatter hanging in the air and it grew closer at he walked. "Tomoe!" A group of raccoon women approached him. "You're here!" They gushed around him some of them blushing others nudging each other."When will you come back to us? We have a new kind of sake in!" He flashed a charming smile at them. "I will be back whenever my work permits it; right now I need to find somebody." With that, they said their good byes, the young woman urging him to return to the brothel once more, and they parted ways.

After ten minutes of walking Tomoe found the right spot and opened another portal, leading to Yanomori's shrine. As he expected Mizuki sat on the porch, staring at the plum tree. "Snake." Mizuki turned and looked at him partially surprised. "What do you want?" Mizuki raised a small cup of sake to his lips and stared at Tomoe as he took a sip. "I need to ask you something..." Tomoe hesitated, he knew that they had just fought about this, and the answer seemed obvious, but he still needed to ask. "Have you and Nanami ever... Been together? Mizuki's expression changed for a split second, but he quickly hid it and shook his head. "Not really..."

Tomoe's heart dropped into his stomach as they stared at each other. "What do you mean _really_? Have you or have you not?" A small smile played on Mizuki's lips. "What if I told you I have been with her, without actually being with her?" Tomoe frowned at his statement. "What did you do?" He burned with rage at the thought of Mizuki touching Nanami. Mizuki chuckled at him and pointed at the incense burner on a small table. "I can jump into any dream, I can visit any event past or present, I can be anybody..." His face twisted into an eerie smirk. "Even you..." Tomoe stood frozen in place as Mizuki's words sank in. "I can do things Nanami would only trust you to do... Even things you have never done before..." Tomoe thought hard. 'What have we not done?' It took him a moment to realize what the only thing they had not done was. _"You didn't!" _Tomoe's fists balled up and he leaned toward Mizuki. "But I did. It was tight too... She screamed... Loud." Mizuki smiled again as Tomoe stared in horror at the mental image. "I got to be two people at once, In two places at once, and it was fun..."

Tomoe wanted to punch Mizuki. He wanted to rip him apart but his mind was overwhelmed with grief, and anger. He felt as if he was having an anxiety attack, and just slumped on the porch beside Mizuki. "Pour me a cup you disgusting snake." Mizuki was startled by his reaction. He expected Tomoe to fight him. He already planned what to do. He would bite him, and plant new memories in his mind. He would make him think that he was the one who did it to Nanami, but now Tomoe seemed exhausted. He did not move, or make a sound. Mizuki left to get him a cup, and brought it back filling it until it seemed like it would overflow. "Here..." Tomoe grabbed the cup, downing it all in one breath. "Why would you do that? Have you no shame?" Mizuki remained silent for a while staring at the tree. "You don't know what it's like to know what is going on between you too and be second best at everything... You are always better, with better advantages and treatment. I need something too, you know." Tomoe refilled his cup. "You don't understand. This is not a competition. Nanami and I have known each other longer, and have been through more together."

Mizuki nodded in response. They drank in silence as a cool breeze brushed against their skin. "Be thankful that it was just a dream, and not real... If it had been real, you would be dead." With that, Tomoe rose to his feet He wanted to sleep, and he knew if he did he wouldn't make it back to the shrine for a while. 'I wanted to make this quick, but...' The thought of Nanami calling him Mizuki's name crossed his mind, and his heart ached. "Snake, I'm sleeping here tonight." Mizuki nodded and Tomoe walked down the hall.

'I need to get my mind in order.'


	27. Chapter 27

Nanami stared at the black bit of fuzz that had fallen out of her diary. 'A feather?' It had to be a piece of a small feather. It was silken black and gleamed in the light. 'Karuma?' She was deeply disturbed by the thought of Karuma reading her diary. 'Why would he even...' He mind twisted and turned as she laid the book beside her. 'He's the only Tengu around here...'

Mizuki quietly slipped out of the shrine. He did not want to alarm Nanami by leaving again, so he vowed to make this a quick as possible. He silently slipped through the night and back to the hotel lodge that Karuma was left at. 'I need to know who that man is...' He entered the revolving door of the hotel, and began up the stairs. As he neared the bar, he heard hushed voices echoing down the hallway. 'I wonder what they're talking about. I didn't see an ambulance, or police...' He eased up to the door careful not to make a sound. 'I can't hear them from here...' He figured the only way he could hear their words clearly was to sneak in. 'I'll take another route...' He walked into the room next to the bar and searched the wall. Finding no holes, his gaze settled on a small air vent. 'This should work...' He latched his hands on to the cool metal, and began to bend the small bars into a hole. Shifting into a snake, he slithered inside of the wall. As he suspected there was another air vent leading to the bar.

"You damn cross road demons and your fairy dust! You just couldn't let everything go how I planned could you?" Karuma glared at Akihito, whose head was hung in shame.

"I'm sorry boss; you know how it gets... I saw she was a land god and just couldn't help myself!" Akihito shrugged his shoulders and Karuma walked over to the couch. He sat down placing his feet on the table. "I told you to just _act_ like you're going to rape her, not actually try! You ruined my moment... She likes the hero type, and now her little snake boy has the glory!" Karuma sighed and an annoyed look spread across his face. Akihito took a sip from a small cup that was placed in front of him. "Do you know how many faeries I had to catch to get that dust? I was sure it would work... If it would have, I would be the new land god... That girl wasn't just going to give her power away!" Akihito gazed dreamily at a small vial of dust, and Karuma scowled at him. "I told you that when I got her power, I would grant you any wish you had... Is that not enough? She already began to trust me... I went to all that trouble getting into the barrier of the shrine for this..." Mizuki was appalled by the words he was hearing.

'I've got to tell Nanami-sama...'

Mizuki hurried back to the shrine, only to find Nanami sitting on the floor in front of the T.V.

"Nanami, what are you doing? It's late..." She turned to look at him. "I can't sleep... And I should enjoy the T.V before it disappears... It's obvious Tomoe's magic is wearing off..." Mizuki nodded and sat beside her. "Nanami... I have something to tell you." She turned to look at him, a concerned expression on her face. "Is it about Tomoe?" He shook his head. "Karuma..." Nanami's eyes widened. She wondered if it had to do with her diary. "He planned tonight... All of it. He hired a crossroad demon... 'Akihito' as you know him, and he planned on 'saving you' to make himself look better... It was all a plan to get your god mark... But the crossroad demon wanted it for himself. If he had taken you, he would have taken you power."

Nanami stare at him as the information sunk in. "That bastard!" Nanami rose to her feet her fists clenched. She had begun to trust him, and he chose to deceive her, seeing that she was vulnerable. A sense of betrayal crossed her, as she realized what could have happened to her if Mizuki had not saved her. "How could he?" Hot tears stung her eyes and she quickly wiped them away with the back of her arm. Angry, and disgusted by his actions Nanami started towards the door. "I'll give that nasty crow a piece of my mind!" Mizuki gently grabbed her arm before she could reach the door. "Calm down Nanami... It's okay. You shouldn't go near him..." She buried her head into his chest, and a sob broke free from her lips. "Why would he do that? I thought I could trust him..." Mizuki wrapped his strong arms around her shoulders, holding her close.

"Don't worry Nanami... I'll take care of this... I promise he won't get away with it."


	28. Chapter 28

Mizuki sat on the porch, sipping a small cup of tea. 'I wonder how I should do this...' He had put Nanami into her bed, and calmed her down. She had curled into a ball, her body shook with deep sobs, and he gently told her it would all be okay, and it was not her fault. Now he stared at the waning moon. 'It will soon be morning... I need to hurry if I'm going to do this...' Mizuki had begun to deeply regret messing with Nanami's dreams, and he needed to make up for it. Tomoe scolded him for days until he left, and was the last person he wanted to see right now, but he still had to tell him what happened. Mizuki made his way back into the shrine, peeking into Nanami's room. She lay in her bed the covers rumpled around her as she peacefully sighed. Deep in sleep she softly mumbled and turned over. 'Good... She's asleep.'

Mizuki slipped through the night as silent as a thief; making his way to the forest. 'The only place I know to look is the brothel...' He arrived at the small town and wandered around the buildings until her saw the sign. 'This must be it...' Opening the door, he was greeted by a beautiful raccoon woman. "Hello... Are you new around here?" He tilted his head to the side. "Yes, Umm... I'm looking for a friend... Tomoe?" She smiled warmly. "Oh, you're a friend of his? Come this way." She led him down a dark hallway and to a door. Light peeked from underneath and over the door and the woman opened it. "Master Tomoe! You have a visitor!"

Tomoe sat in a large loose kimono, perched atop various pillows, and holding a cup of sake. He turned to look at Mizuki over his shoulder."What do you want?" Mizuki stared at the four raccoon women who were seated around him, one holding a bottle of sake. "Tomoe, something has happened to Nanami..." Tomoe sat up, an alarmed expression on his face. His ears perked straight up as he awaited the news. "Come with me we need to speak in private." Mizuki crossed his arms, tucking his hands into his sleeves, as Tomoe gracefully rose to his feet. They walked out of the brothel together, the woman's eyes piercing their backs.

"Nanami has been hanging around Karuma since you left. Apparently they became very close..." Mizuki paused and took a deep breath. "Karuma had been taking care of her when she left the shrine, and started giving her rides to school. He talked her into going to one of his concerts and posing as his girlfriend." Tomoe frowned as he took the information in. "Did they do anything?" Mizuki shook his head. "No, but he planned a small get together after his show and hired a cross road demon to try to rape her. He originally planned to play hero, and save her but the demon double crossed him and tried to take Nanami's god mark. I saved her just before he hit her, but she's still pretty upset." A scowl spread across Tomoe's face as Mizuki spoke. "That damn tengu... I'm going to kill him!" With that, Tomoe started towards the forest. "Come on!"

Needless to say, Mizuki followed him. "Tomoe, I need to apologize to you for what I did... I shouldn't have jumped into Nanami's dream..." Tomoe gazed at him over his shoulder. "It is okay... I shouldn't have been with her in the first place." The two were surrounded with an air of forgiveness and peace. With their new found friendship that made their way to Karuma.

"Tengu!" Tomoe kicked the door to the bar open, Mizuki standing beside him. "I know what you did to my master... And I'm not pleased..." Karuma and Akihito rose to their feet, startled, as a few other men seated at the bar with some pretty women turned to look. The barkeeper turned to face the two. "Hey boys, we don't want any trouble here." Tomoe glared at him. "Well you're about to get some..." The men at the bar rose to their feet as Karuma stared wide-eyed at Tomoe. "We'll take care of these two idiots!" One of the men shouted at Karuma, while he broke a bottle of beer. He lunged at Tomoe, who gracefully dodged the sharp edges of glass, and kicked the bottle from his hand. In the same movement, Tomoe's foot smacked the man in the jaw causing him to slump to the floor. Tomoe stepped back, gracefully tucking his hands into his sleeves. "We can do this one on one like men, or I can lay you to waste... Take your pick." He eyed Karuma who tried to force a confident smile.

"You don't have the authority, or power to kill me!" Karuma glared at Tomoe. "Authority? I give myself the authority! As for power..." Tomoe turned to smile grimly at Mizuki who had been silent this whole time. "We have more power then you could possibly dream of..." With that, Mizuki and Tomoe positioned themselves as the group of men led by Karuma surrounded them. They stood with their back against each other. "Let's make this quick Tomoe. Nanami needs to be to school in a few hours." A slight smirk played on Mizuki's lips as he peered over his shoulder at Tomoe. The same confident smirk curled Tomoe's lips and he nodded in response. The women in the room all flocked together in the farthest corner of the room, chattering loudly amongst themselves.

"Let me give you all one final warning shot..." Mizuki spit his venom at the crowd of men, hitting one in the eye. The man screamed and writhed with pain as he fell to the floor covering his eye. Tomoe turned and cocked his ear to the side. Raising one eye brown with a slightly stunned look on his face Tomoe peered at Mizuki. "I thought you said a _warning _shot..." Mizuki slightly chuckled. "Whoops..." and the first punch was thrown. Tomoe dodged the fist, and slashed the man's arm with his claws. Mizuki kicked another man, and shot his venom at him. As the two dodged every slow punch and kick, they quickly disabled each man who dared approach them. They punched and kicked, until only one man remained. The last man stood in awe at the scene of them taking everybody down. One, Two, and Three men had hit the ground, and before his eyes four, five and eventually six joined them. They stared at the last man, as he bowed and excused himself. He quickly fled the room, the woman trailing close behind him, screaming.

Tomoe and Mizuki turned to face Karuma who had been watching the fight this whole time. "Wait! Don't leave me here!" Akihito grasped at Karuma who spread his massive wings, and leaped from the window. They narrowed their eyes at the crossroad demon. "Well, well, well... Look what we have here..." Tomoe's eyes gleamed evilly. "Looks like your boss left you to us" Mizuki chimed in an eerie smile spreading across his face. Akihito backed up holding his hands out in an attempt to calm them. "Hold on gentlemen... I did not want to do this... It was all that Karuma! He made me!" They closed in on him. "He made you betray himself? That doesn't make sense..." They spoke in unison as they closed in on him; their voices held a creepy tone, their grins grew wider.

A scream of pain accompanied with cruel, maniacal laughter shook the building. Minutes later Tomoe and Mizuki exited the building. "That damn crow ran away..." Tomoe stared at the night sky as they walked back to the shrine. "Well at least we scared him... I doubt he will try to harm Nanami again." Mizuki and Tomoe nodded in agreement. As they entered the shrine, Onikiri and Kotetsu greeted Tomoe excitedly. "You're back! You're back Master Tomoe-dono!" He smiled at them. "Yes, I am. It's nice to see you again too!" They floated around him ecstatically and latched onto him in a hug. "Nanami-sama will be so relieved! She has been depressed for some time now!" Tomoe nodded and the shrine became restored to its previous state. He walked to Nanami's room, and Mizuki smiled at him as he did so. "Nanami..." The sleeping girl slightly stirred turning over. "Nanami wake up."

"No... Don't go... Tomoe..." He stared down at her lovingly. Placing a hand on her shoulder he began to shake softly shake her. "Nanami... Wake up." She turned over to face him her eyes barely open, and sat up. "Another dream?" She shook her head, and placed her hand on her forehead. "No... Please leave me alone... I already told you I'm sorry... Stop scolding me... Please." She tried to stifle a sniffle as she scooted away from him. "Nanami..." He extended his hand grasping her. "Oww!" He quickly retracted his hand and stared at the dark bruise that encircled her wrist. 'That damn demon...' His mind began to wander. Without thinking about it he placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her close, holding her in an embrace.


	29. Chapter 29

They sat on the floor for what seemed like hours. Nanami slowly began to break the contact between them "Why are you back? Where did you go?' she stared up at him, her eyes illuminated by a ray of moonlight that shone through the window. "Mizuki came and found me... We took care of Karuma and his little 'friend'. I had to take some time to think about what we've been doing..." Nanami did not think into what he was saying much, she smiled. "I'm glad you're back!" Tucking her head back on his chest, she felt him slightly move back, but he didn't pull away from her. He placed his arm around her shoulders. "Tomoe, I'm so sorry... About... Well, you know." She breathed a sigh of relief, and it felt as though a weight was lifted off her shoulders. "Nanami." He paused taking a deep breath. "It's okay. I understand. But..." Nanami stared up at him, waiting for him to finish his sentence. "What we did was wrong. It always has been and that will not change... We can't be together." He waited for a moment for her reply.

Nanami's mouth grew dry, and a hard lump form in her throat. She did not know what to say, she couldn't protest. Her eyes grew hot as tears began to well in them. She knew that if she blinked the tears would fall, and she tried with all her might to suppress the growing urge. Before she could gather her thoughts, Tomoe rose to his feet, and started towards the door, snapping her from her dazed state. "Tomoe! Wait... Why?" He did not turn to look at her, his own heart ached as he spoke those words and he did not want to see her cry again. "I told you before. I am your familiar. It is not proper." With that, he left the room, Nanami lowering her head. She blinked, releasing the tears she had attempted to repress. 'Why? Just... Why..?' the thought repeated itself and the question burned in her mind.

The morning light beckoned Nanami to return from the world of dreams, and she heard birds softly singing in the distance. 'Why do I have to wake up?' She rolled over and curled into a ball trying to recall when she had finally drifted off to sleep. The last thing she remembered was crying into her pillow, so to keep Mizuki and Tomoe from hearing her. 'Why does the world seem so happy still?' She sat up wondering what she should do, of course, she was happy that Tomoe had returned, but why did he ruin everything so quickly? Rising to her feet, she stretched, though it did not relieve the feeling of dread that had overtaken her last night. 'That's the word... Dread. I'm dreading seeing him, I'm dreading even starting the day.'

She silently walked to the door of her room and peeked out. Nobody was outside the room so she made her way to the bathroom to brush her teeth and hair. 'A bath will make me feel better...' She ran the water and returned to her room to retrieve her clothes, deciding to write in her diary as well. When she returned to the bathroom, she removed her nightclothes and stepped into the tub. Flipping through her diary, she found the page where she had taped the feather beside her entry. Writing the date on the page opposite she began to fill it with the previous night's events. She found that the book did not relieve the feelings she held as it had before. She felt slightly better but nothing significant. She soaked for an hour before she decided she could not escape the day.

"Nanami, good morning!" Mizuki held a large smile as he greeted her. "Hey... Good morning." Nanami forced a smile as she walked down the hall way. Drained of all her energy and strength she could not say much more. "Wait... What's wrong Nanami? What happened?" The smile quickly slipped from his lips and was replaced with a concerned expression. "Nothing! It's Nothing... Really." With that, Nanami made her way past him and to her room, Mizuki staring worriedly after her.

"Itadakimasu..." Nanami stared at the tray of food Tomoe placed in front of her. It had been so long since she had eaten anything like this that she could not decide where to start. Tomoe and Mizuki sat around the table sipping sake, but Nanami had opted for tea, knowing that if she began to drink she may begin to cry uncontrollably. "So this has been a tough couple of weeks, but I'm glad that everything is back to normal!" Mizuki grinned at Tomoe, who was fanning himself, and held a dreamy expression as he stared into the nothingness. "Yes. Everything feels right again." Tomoe took a sip of his sake_. 'I sure don't feel that way...' _The thought crossed Nanami's mind, and she tried to ignore it. "So did Nanami really call you my name, Tomoe?" Mizuki laughed at the thought, and Tomoe's ear cocked to the side. "Yes she did..." Nanami's ace flushed, and Onikiri and Kotetsu stared at the group in disbelief. "What? What happened?" They spoke in unison, causing Nanami to chuckle.

Everybody stopped speaking as they heard a tap on the door. "I wonder who it is?" Nanami stared in the direction of the sound as Tomoe made his way over. As the door opened, Tomoe froze in place.


	30. Chapter 30

"Hello, everybody!" Mikage stepped inside of the shrine, walking past Tomoe, and to the table, where he seated himself. "I figured I would check on everybody, to see how things are going. I see I interrupted a nice breakfast." He chuckled slightly. Nanami Stared up at him, slightly surprised. "Yes, are you hungry? I don't seem to have much of an appetite today." She smiled at him and he mirrored her expression. "Oh, no I couldn't. I'm not much of an eater." Laughing at his own joke, he turned to face Tomoe who had shut the door and returned to his spot at the table. "Tomoe! How are you doing?" His ears perked as Mikage addressed him. "I'm doing well! Thank you for stopping by Master!" Mikage laughed. "You don't need to call me master anymore..." Tomoe wanted to ask him why he left for so long but he did not want to discuss this in front of Nanami or the snake. "Tomoe, would you grab me a cup?" Nanami remained silent as she sipped her tea, watching Tomoe move to the kitchen.

"Nanami you have been so quiet since I got here! Are you okay?" Mikage gazed at her a calm smile playing on his lips. The question was unexpected, and she became slightly frazzled as she tried to decide how to respond to him. "I think her and Tomoe had another falling out... Sad that it happened the moment he got back!" Mizuki had not thought before he spoke, and Mikage raised his eyebrow at the statement. "Another? Back? Where did he go?" Nanami turned a shade or red as Mizuki spoke. "Well She called him my name and he left to 'Get his mind in order.' So she's been alone for a few weeks now." Tomoe returned with a new bottle as Mizuki spoke. "Snake! Don't tell him that!" Mikage turned to look at him. "So you and your new master have been... Oh, it all makes since now." Tomoe poured some sake into Mikage's cup. "So you two have made up?" His gaze forced Nanami to drop her head and Tomoe answered his question. "Last night we decided that it wasn't proper and it would be better to forget it all."

Nanami stared at her food. She had not touched it the whole time they had been sitting here. "It's for the better... A deity and familiar relationship is taboo. It has been forbidden for centuries. It can never end well. If the counsel of gods had gotten word of this, Tomoe would be captured and forced to break his contract. Nanami would be shunned and turned into a fallen god. Neither of you could be happy." His words hung in the air, creating a heavy atmosphere in the room. Nanami turned to look at Tomoe, who stared down at his pipe.

"Well, there's nothing to worry about now!" Mizuki smiled cheerfully, breaking the silence that had consumed the conversation. Mikage nodded and turned to face Nanami. "Do you need some more?" She had not noticed that her cup was running low, and did not want to turn him down. _'Tea and sake? What would that taste like?' _She nodded and extended her cup in his direction. Tomoe pulled the bottle of sake from the ground and filled her cup, eying her suspiciously. "I thought that you had-" Before he could finish his sentence, Nanami interrupted him. "Yea I know I said i wouldn't have another cup, but it won't hurt me!" She laughed and his gaze did not shift. "Here Mizuki... I'm not really hungry right now." She slid her plate over to him, and everybody stared at her as she did so. Her food remained untouched, exactly how it was when Tomoe brought it to her.

Finishing her cup of sake she lifted herself to her feet."Goichi sama desu... Well it's been nice talking to everybody... Umm, I just want to take some time to think to myself, so I'm gonna take a walk." She made her way out of the door and across the yard. Five sets of eyes bore into her back as she did so. "Isn't anybody going to make sure she's okay?" Mikage turned to look at Tomoe, and Mizuki. Tomoe, slightly shook his head staring at the embers of his pipe, Mizuki returned Mikage's gaze. "Well, she said she wanted to be alone..."


	31. Chapter 31

Nanami was lost in thought as she walked into the forest. The trees were illuminated by the golden rays of sunlight, which caused boxes of light to form on the ground around her. Gusts of cool autumn breeze nipped at her nose and cheeks, but it was as though she could not feel anymore. She welcomed the cold, dreamily wondering how long it had been since she had last felt Tomoe caress her, or run his nails down her skin. Her finger traced the edges of her neck where his teeth had once grazed her, and she felt the small bumps, which had scarred over, leaving her with nothing but proof that the memories were real. "So stupid..." The words jumped from her lips before she thought to hush herself. Finding a large rock dusted with a bit of moss, She sat on the it, basking in the warm sun, as memories of her and Tomoe flashed through her mind. Groaning she shook her head, hoping the thoughts would shake away as well.

The crunching of leaves caused Nanami to look in the direction of the shrine. Mikage approached her with a small bottle in his hand. "Nanami, Are you okay?" She nodded at him forcing a small smile. "You must be freezing!" He motioned to her clothes and for the first time she noticed that she had forgotten her jacket. "Well I have long sleeves on..." The feeling had returned to her limbs and she rubbed her hands together hoping the friction would warm them. "But you have on a skirt..." Mikage pointed at her legs, and she frowned down staring past her khaki skirt. Before she could respond, he had slipped his long trench coat off and wrapped it around her arms. Running her fingers over the soft fabric of the coat she softly thanked him. "Nanami, I can tell you're still upset about Tomoe... Don't let it get you down... I'm sure everything worked out for the better." She stared at him as he held the bottle up. "Would you like a drink? Scoot over, let me join you." With that, Nanami made room for Mikage to sit beside her on the boulder. She watched as he opened the bottle and proceeded to take a swig out of it. "No cups, sorry." She didn't care. Taking the bottle from him, she mimicked his motion swallowing more then she had intended. "So why are you being so quiet now? You're away from Tomoe, so you should feel better."

Nanami watched him as he spoke, observing his sandy hair as it gently swayed in a sudden breeze. _'He's almost as handsome as Tomoe...'_ Lost in thought she did not hear the last part of his statement. _'It's been so long since I've...' _"Nanami?" Mikage wore a concerned expression as he stared at her. Her face flushed, and she quickly turned away from hm. "Oh, I'm okay! Sorry! I was just thinking..." He laughed at her statement. "So besides that, how everything that happened between your familiars and you, how has everything else been?" Turning to face him Nanami smiled. "There isn't much else then that. I don't really have many friends. The only guy I talk to in school tried to steal my god symbol and the person helping him tried to rape me, and that's about it!" Nanami scratched her head, suddenly embarrassed. _'I probably shouldn't have been smiling when I said that!' _A startled expression crossed his face for a second. Mikage placed his hat behind them, and Nanami raised the bottle to her lips once again.

'I wonder if he has muscles like Tomoe's...' she stared dreamily at his dark shirt trying to imagine what his body looked like. 'I shouldn't be thinking like this!' She blushed at the mental image that popped into her head. "What is it?" Mikage raised an eyebrow at her. "You've been staring at me oddly for some time now..." Nanami did not know what to say to him, she sat in silence as she tried to make something up. "Umm... I was wondering what you looked like without your glasses." He chuckled and took the bottle from her taking one quick sip from it. "Okay, I'll show you, but you have to promise not to tell anybody!" They both laughed, and Nanami began to feel slightly cheerful. 'It's amazing that talking to him can make me feel as though my troubles have melted away.' She watched as he removed his glasses. "See?" He smiled at her. "It's not that different!" Nanami tried to suppress the words that danced on the tip of her tongue, but before she could stop herself she was already speaking. "You're a very handsome man!" The sun illuminated the deep chocolate color of his widened eyes as he leaned back. "Thank you..." He quickly placed his glasses back on.

"And your eyes are very beautiful..." Nanami looked away. 'What am I saying? I'm sure he would never even look at me twice...' Silence fell over the two as a breeze shook the trees around them. "We should head back." Mikage smiled at her as he stood, replacing his hat over his ashy hair. "Umm, yeah..." Nanami awkwardly scooted off the rock and to her feet, almost slipping on a slimy piece of moss. As she slipped, Mikage quickly grabbed her. "Oww!" Looking down he saw the dark bruise that surrounded her wrist. "I'm sorry, I didn't know that was-" "It's fine!" Nanami interrupted, smiling at him. For once, it did not feel forced, and she felt relieved.

They started towards the shrine, walking in silence. "Mikage?" He looked at her. "Thank you for coming to talk to me. I was really upset, but I feel much better now! I'm surprised that you helped me so much in so little time!" Smiling he nodded. "No need to thank me." "When you came I couldn't stop thinking of how long it had been since I last-" She quickly cut the sentence off before she said any more. "I must be a little drunk..." It was the only thing she could think to say to change the subject. " His eyes held a strong gaze, and she could feel them watching her, as she walked. "You have been acting a bit strange, but I guess that would explain it..." He chuckled under his breath, and she blushed. "Well I don't mean to... I just... Oh I don't know. My mind wanders!" Laughing she ran her fingers over his coat again. Mikage stopped, leaning against the base of a large tree. "Oh yeah? What have you been thinking about?" Turning to face him, she didn't know if she should answer. His voice held a suggestive tone in it, but she wondered if she was misunderstanding.

Taking a deep breath, she approached him slowly, stopping when she was only inches away from him. "Well... I've been wondering what it would be like to kiss you?" He did not answer, and a stunned expression was on his face. "I hope you don't mind but..." Placing her hands on his chest without thinking about it, Nanami quickly locked his lips to hers. Mikage did not move, he was too stunned to react, and before he knew it, he eagerly returned her kiss. She felt him grab her shoulders, gently pushing her back. "Nanami... We can't... You shouldn't..." He did not finish his sentence, just turned and walked back to the shrine. 'Oh no... I misread him! Why would I even think for a second that he would be flirting with me?' Nanami stood by the tree and watched him walk away. 'Well this is awkward...'

When she had finally gotten her mind together and made her way back to the shrine, the sun had begun to set. Mizuki warmly greeted her, and had apparently been having a drinking contest with Tomoe. She made her way past him, also passing Tomoe who was still seated by the table a stubborn look on his face. He eyed her as she passed him, probably looking at the trench coat. They had not spoken since the previous night, and she did not intend on saying anything to him any time soon. She found Mikage standing by the back porch. "Hey!" She smiled nervously as he turned to look at her. "Here's your jacket, thank you for lending it to me! I'm sorry about... Um, that."Mikage smiled charmingly at her. "Don't worry about it, alcohol makes people do strange things." She blushed. 'He thought it was _strange_?' "Well someone once told me drunken words are sober thoughts!" She reached her arm up as if to scratch her head. 'That's probably not the best thing to say right now...'

Mikage had an odd expression on his face, and it made her feel more embarrassed. "Okay, well I should probably get going now..." He pulled the trench coat over his arms, fixing his scarf around his neck. "It's getting dark, you can stay here for the night if you'd like!" Nanami had not heard Mizuki approach them from behind, but he quickly jumped in the conversation, and Nanami was thankful he had. "Yeah! I'm sure Tomoe would be happy to have you back here even if just for one night! He's done nothing but talk about you since you left! Nothing bad!" Mikage looked at Mizuki as he spoke and nodded. "Alright. One night." Mikage placed a hand on Nanami's shoulder as they walked away, Mizuki saying he will show him where his bed will be, and set it up for him. 'I just can't say the right thing today!' Nanami made her way back to her room, as she opened the door; she felt something brush against her hand. Turning to see what it was she saw Tomoe standing behind her. "Nanami I heard you two talking. What did you do?" He had an odd tone in his voice, and she stared at him for a moment her face flushing. "Nothing..." With that, she escaped the conversation, and his gaze, by rushing into her room.

Laying on her bed Nanami wrote in her book. "I kissed Mikage, and I thought he kissed me back, but I was mistaken. Tomoe once told me I shouldn't drink on an empty stomach, maybe that's why I've been feeling strange." She wrote the last sentences before returning her diary to its hiding spot. She slipped out of her room and quietly into the kitchen finding her tray of food from earlier in the fridge. She grabbed a rice ball, eating it slowly as she still did not have an appetite. When she finished it she made her way to the bathroom, brushing her teeth, and pulling her hair back. 'I wish I had thought more before I kissed him...' Back in her room, she pulled her clothes off and replaced them with a pair of shorts. When she was near Mikage she had begun to feel again, but now the numbness from before consumed her. She longed to feel the cold, or warmth, anything to remind her that she was still alive.

As she turned out the light and laid down in her bed she heard footsteps approach her door. 'Tomoe better leave me alone. I don't want to see him.' Rolling over there was a slight tap on her door, and it slid open almost silently. "Nanami, are you awake?" She sat up straight in her bed as Mikage closed the door behind himself. "I'm sorry to bother you, but i wanted to talk a little." He walked over to her bedside. "Do not think that I was rejecting you I just needed to be sure of one thing." Staring up at him wide eyed her body grew warm. "What?" He lowered himself over her, crawling closer to her until his face was only inches from hers. "That I'm not just a rebound." His words hung in the air as he leaned closer to her capturing her lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, while he ran a hand down her back.

The numbness that had taken over Nanami shattered once again, as Mikage's warmth consumed her.


	32. Chapter 32

Nanami was surprised that this was happening. She had thought that Mikage rejected her, but now he lay over her, holding her close to him, in his strong arms. She had not known what to expect from him, and his lips gently danced from her lips down her neck and across her collarbone. It was a new sensation to her, being fully caressed in such a manner, and she lightly sighed as his lips made their way down her body. He pulled away, and she stared at him as he slid his glasses off his face, and laid them behind her pillow. "You don't seem to be used to this kind of treatment." He smiled down at her, and she shook her head a small smirk forming on her lips. "No, not at all." Mikage lowered himself so that his lips were beside her ear. "Well, you can moan as loudly as you need, We can't get in trouble like this..." The words excited her and he slipped his hand down to her shorts, barely stroking against her, causing her to moan slightly.

Placing her hands on his shirt, she began to slowly undo the buttons. "I've wanted to take this off of you all day..." A small laugh escaped his lips and he began to unbuckle his belt, and slide his pants down. As he freed himself, Nanami felt herself twinge in excitement at the sight of his lean muscles, and the size of the main muscle, which was still beneath his boxers. "Hold on, I'd like to see you while we do this if you don't mind..." Mikage sat back, wiping his eyes and Nanami watched him as a small blue orb floated from his hand to his eyes. He blinked a few times and turned to smile at her. "If you can do that, then why do you wear glasses?" She leaned her head to the side as she spoke. "It's troublesome to maintain for extended periods of time."

"Now come here!" Mikage made a small pouncing motion as if he was going to attack her and they rolled around on the bed, laughing as they playfully wrestled. Nanami turned over, pinning him to the bed, and giggled as she spoke. "Got 'cha!" Mikage let out a small laugh as well. "I won't protest, I'm interested in what you might do to me!" Their laughing subsided, and their eyes met in a longing stare. "Well, I might kiss you..." Nanami leaned into Mikage's lips, and they met with a passionate kiss. "I might tease you a little..." Sliding her lips down his neck, and chest she teased his nipples with her tongue, and planted soft kisses down his abs. She slipped her fingers under his boxers, and slowly pulled them down. "And I might suck on you a little bit..." Mikage watched her as she placed her hand around him, gently stroking and licking around the head until she took him into her mouth. He moaned, as he felt her moist tongue dance against him. 'He's much larger then Tomoe...'

After a few minutes of pleasing him, Mikage lightly grabbed her shoulder, and began to pull her back up. "Lay down." He started to scoot out of his spot, and she laid where he had been. Without another word, he lowered himself between her legs. She moaned as she felt him kiss the inner part of her thighs, and up to her most sensitive area. His tongue began to flick across her clit, causing her hips to buck, as she laced a hand in his hair."Ohh, Mikage..." The sensation danced up her spine, and she squirmed in pleasure as he ran his tongue up the length of her one more time. He positioned himself over her, and held himself at her entrance. They stared into each other's eyes as he began to push himself into her. As the head broke its way in, Nanami cried out, in a mixture of pain and pleasure. Mikage froze in place looking to the side past his arm, closing his eyes. He would have to pace himself, she was obviously not very experienced. He could feel it.

He began to slowly work his way into her, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him close as she groaned. He finally got himself completely into her, and softly stroked into her. When he was sure she had gotten used to his size, he ran his hands over her bra, quickly snatching it off, and leaned down, taking one of her nipples into his mouth, and playing with the other with his hand. Nanami moved one of her hands down his shoulder, placing it on his chest, as if to push him away, but all the while pulling him closer. He moved his lips to her other nipple, lightly grazing his teeth over it as it grew erect, and thrusting deeper into her. Nanami cried out, digging her nails into his back, causing Mikage to moan louder then she expected. He lowered himself beside her pulling her body with his, and they laid on their sides, both panting and running their hands over the others body. Their lips locked, and Nanami raised her leg on top of his. He paced his hands on her hips pushing himself further inside of her.

Nanami moaned into his lips, as he pulled her on top of himself. Nanami sat up, and worked her body into a rhythm grinding against him, and pulling up to the tip, then thrusting back down, causing him to bury his nails into her hips. Mikage grunted in pleasure, and she moved, He knew that he could not contain himself much longer, and began to pull her down roughly. Nanami moaned loudly in response, and as he pulled her in the last and deepest stroke yet, she heard him softly mumble her name. They climaxed at the same time, and Nanami slumped against him, as they did. He wrapped his arms around her, and they laid like this for what felt like hours, until he gently pulled her off himself, and laid her sleeping body beside him. He pulled her back into his arms, and kissed her forehead."Good night Nanami." Before long, he quickly fell into a dream.

Neither of them noticed that somebody had been standing on the other side of the door. Tomoe had heard Nanami's voice, and left his room to investigate. Before he could reach her door, he heard her moan Mikage's name. He did not know how he should feel, and continuously reminded himself that _he_ was the one who broke up with _her_. So why did he feel this way after knowing what she was doing with another man?


	33. Chapter 33

Tomoe paced back and forth as the noises that were coming from Nanami's room died down, and came to a stop. He heard Mikage whisper something, and as everything grew silent, he walked to his room. 'Why am i feeling like this?' He sat cross-legged on his bed in an attempt to calm his mind. 'I left her, so why am I upset?' He attempted to meditate, to suppress the growing anger and jealously which had begun to consume his heart. 'She's only doing it to get over me...' He could not stop his mind from wandering and he laid back on his bed staring at the small cot that had been laid on the floor for Mikage. 'I pushed her into his arms... He should have left tonight. He's taking advantage of her vulnerability... I felt what he just felt and I know that he's going to want to stay now.' He turned over as he thought of all the scenarios he could cause. 'But do I really want to risk turning Nanami into a fallen god..?'

"Good morning, Nami." Nanami slightly stirred in her sleep, as she felt a pair of soft lips placed against hers. She opened her eyes to find Mikage leaning up on his shoulder. "We should get up. Did you sleep well?" His charming smile seemed contagious, and Nanami grinned in return. "Good morning... I Did, what about you?" He nodded in response. Nanami sat up, and her head began to throb, painfully. She placed a hand on her head and tucked her head down hoping it would not be so bad. Mikage stared at her as she did so. "Do you have a hang over?" She looked up at him, trying to force a smile. "Umm, yeah I do..." He extended his hand to her, to help her stand. "You know what that means right?" She looked up at him as he pulled her to her feet. "What?" "That you had a good night!" He laughed, and she tried to force herself to laugh, but all that escaped her lips was a dry chuckle. "Do you want to take a bath?" He pulled his clothes over himself, and started towards the door. "I'll run the water. You put some clothes on. I know a good way to get rid of hangovers." With that he left the room, Nanami stared after him. She grabbed her shorts from beside the bed and pulled them on. Next, she found a small shirt she could wear, and grabbed a fresh pair of clothes.

Mikage started the bath water, and walked to the kitchen. As he grabbed a glass, Tomoe entered the kitchen as well. "Good morning Tomoe!" He smiled cheerfully at him, and was met with an icy glare. "Good morning, _Mikage_." Slightly startled he turned back to the cup, pouring hot water over a tea bag. Tomoe eyed him as he walked to the fridge, and sliced open a lemon. He squeezed the juice into the glass, stirring the liquid with a small spoon, and walked past Tomoe, who was still glaring daggers at him. Back in the bathroom he stopped the water and placed the tea on the table beside the tub, when he walked back out of the room, Tome was still watching him. "What is it Tomoe?" Mikage coolly looked at him, still smiling. "Oh nothing... It appears you had a good night." Mikage approached him, his expression unchanging "Are you upset?" Tomoe's ear twitched, and he headed to his room mumbling "Not at all."

Nanami had finished writing in her book, as Mikage entered her room. "Our bath is ready! What's that?" Her head was hurting too much for her to think of a lame excuse. "My diary." She peered at him as he began to walk to her side. She was seated at a desk, and he leaned over her reading her words. "I hope you don't mind..." She felt his warm breath on her ear, and it caused her to blush lightly. "Umm, I guess not... Nobody has read it before though..." He flipped through a few pages, and settled on a previous entry she had written in Tomoe and Mizuki's absence_."I feel so alone... I wonder why everybody would leave me so readily; they know what this feels like. It is my fault but i still wish we all could have talked about this, instead of them just running away. I used to feel defenseless, but now Karuma has been trying to fill their places. I'm thankful, but I hope he doesn't expect anything in return. My heart feels as though it is in a fragile state, and even the smallest movement could shatter me entirely. I don't know what I would do if anybody read this..." _When he finished the paragraph, he turned to look at her. "Well now somebody has read it, what are you going to do?" He chuckled, and she raised her eyebrows as she smiled. "Take a bath?" He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Good choice."

Mikage joined Nanami in the bathtub, handing her a glass of tea. "This should help with that hangover." She thanked him and took a small sip. It tasted like it was mostly lemon juice, and she almost spit it back in the cup, but he stopped her. "You want to feel better, don't you?" She nodded, and took another sip. They began to talk and laugh about random topics. It seemed like meaningless small talk but it was still fun. He splashed her, and she did the same. This was a new type of relationship to Nanami, and she welcomed the lightheartedness of Mikage's personality. He grabbed her washcloth and began to wipe her back down. "You know, I think Tomoe is jealous..." She turned to look at him. Their laughing had subsided, and now Nanami wore a serious expression. "Well, he shouldn't be..." Suddenly tired she slumped against the side of the tub. "He's the one who-" Mikage leaned his warm body against her back. "Gave up such a beautiful lady." Their eyes met in a mutual moment of understanding, and they softly kissed. "I know that you are still upset over him, but just remember the consequences, and all of the hard times. It's not worth it." Mikage sounded calm, and collected as always, but his words seemed to tear Nanami apart. They soon dried off, and drained the tub.

Mizuki noticed that Tomoe had seemed odd today, but he did not know why, until he walked past the hallway, and saw Nanami and Mikage walking from the bathroom together, their hair glistening with beads of water. He watched as they walked back into Nanami's room, not even noticing him. Running to Tomoe's room, he found him laying face down on his bed. "Tomoe? I just saw something weird..." Tomoe turned to look at him. "My old master, all over my current master? Yes. I heard it last night." Mizuki's eyes widened. "Last night? They had-" "Yes!" Tomoe did not want to hear the words. It was bad enough that he heard Nanami moaning somebody else's name, but for it to be Mikage just topped it off. He did not know how he should react. Mizuki sat beside him on his bed. "So why did you and Nanami decide to end it?" Tomoe sat up, tucking his arms into his sleeves. "I told her that we couldn't be together, because of the consequences, and i didn't want to see that happen to her. But i didn't expect her to fall into the arms of the next man who came along and showed her some kindness."

The sunlight shining in from the window illuminated Mizuki's hair as he turned to look at Tomoe. "Well what do you think happens when she's drunk and vulnerable? She waited all this time for you to come back, and to apologize to you. You even know that it was my fault that she made that mistake, but it wasn't as easy as you think. I had to be you first, and have her already busy with you, and then come in as myself, and stop her from talking. She was never open to the idea of anybody but you being with her. So I think that you being so unforgiving just kind of pushed her over the edge. When you think about it, there was no other way this could have turned out." The words hit Tomoe like a ton of bricks, and for the first time he felt truly stupid. He wished that Mikage had not come back, and that he had realized this sooner, but now it was too late. He had made himself into the bad guy, and he figured things would never be the same.

"Mizuki! Tomoe! We're going to head out for a bit!" Tomoe heard Mikage's words and quickly ran to where he and Nanami stood. "NO." He could not control the volume of his voice as he glared at the pair. Nanami wore Mikage's hat and they were slipping their shoes on. "It's okay Tomoe, I'll have her back at an acceptable hour." Mikage smiled at him, and Nanami looked up at him as he spoke. "Mikage, you can NOT take my master wherever you please!" The fear of Nanami never returning crossed his mind, and only angered him more. Mizuki had walked up behind him, and stared at him as he spoke. "Just because she foolishly turned to you out of loneliness does not mean that you are a perfect new found couple. You don't even know each other, and she was drunk." He had regained his composure and spoke with a cold tone in his voice.

Mikage stared at him, a frown overtaking his face. He let out an exasperated sigh and nodded. "Well, I don't agree with what you said. But I can see that I am not wanted here. I thought you would be happier to see me Tomoe." Nanami's expression had changed from a relaxed smile to a confused, alarmed stare. "I guess I should be going." Mikage gently pulled his hat off Nanami's head, and adjusted his glasses. "I wouldn't want to be a burden." He turned to the door, and Nanami grabbed his arm. "No wait! Don't go! Tomoe doesn't know what he's saying. He drank a lot last night!" Mikage turned to look at her. "Do not worry, we'll meet again." He kissed her forehead, as tears began to well in her eyes. "Here keep this." He handed her a small blue charm from his pocket. "Whenever you feel lonely, just look at this, and know that there is somebody who cares about you. I never want to see you write something sad in that book of yours again."

With that, he was gone, and Nanami stared after him a longing expression on her face.


	34. Chapter 34

Tomoe began to walk away, but before he could take even two steps, Nanami turned to face him. "What is wrong with you? Why did you do that? Why would you say such things? Is it not enough to leave me, and treat me cold? You can't let anybody else have me?" Tomoe turned to face her. "Well, apparently I can't stop _anybody_ from having _you_." His words were like a slap in the face, and Nanami stood frozen as he left the room. 'What have I done? I know he's jealous, but I really messed everything up. It can never be the same...' Her heart grew heavy and it hurt to even breathe. A painful lump formed in her throat, making it difficult to swallow, and she slowly slid down the wall and to the ground. She buried her face in her knees, and wrapped her arms around her legs. 'What did he expect?'

Mizuki was waiting for Tomoe in his room. "Tomoe, I know you were upset, but you didn't have to be so harsh. Now _everybody_ is upset, and Nanami is lonely again. She's probably crying in her room right now. You really have a way with the ladies." Tomoe eyed him as he walked back to his bed. "Well, if she went out with him, I wouldn't be able to protect her. Anyway, He would probably just get them lost in the forest somewhere; I did us a favor. Now we know where she is. In her room studying like she should be." Mizuki returned his gaze. "Studying? is that the new word for 'on the brink of killing yourself?'" Tomoe turned to stare out of his window. "Nanami would do no such thing."

"You know Tomoe, if you're curious, I could show you how she's feeling..." Mizuki pulled his incense burner out of what seemed like thin air. "Do you just carry that thing around everywhere? Where were you keeping it?" Tomoe watched him as he slowly approached the bed. "Just tell me what you want to know... I'll show you." Realizing how many answers, he could find Tomoe stared at the shiny green container. "Is he bigger than me?" Mizuki laughed at his question but lit the incense. "Let's find out."

"Lay down." Tomoe and Mizuki were standing outside of Nanami's room. The shrine was engulfed in darkness, and the only sounds were Nanami's moans. "They can't see us, or hear us, so we can watch all you want." Mizuki seemed a little too thrilled by this and Tomoe wondered if he had ever done this to him and Nanami. "Come on." Mizuki walked through the wall and Tomoe followed him. As he entered the room, his sight was filled with the image of Nanami and Mikage passionately kissing each other. He cringed, and walked towards them. His face was only inches from Nanami's as he studied her expression. 'She never had this sort of expression when we were together. She seems more, sad now, even scared. Nanami and Mikage gazed into each other's eyes and he began to position himself. 'What the hell? He's not that much bigger than me... Just a little...' This did not make him feel any better. "Snake lets go somewhere else. Let's go back to the night that I came back. Mizuki gazed up at him from where he was squatting. "Mizuki what are you doing?"

"Stop looking at Nanami!" To this, Mizuki laughed. "Well she's making a really cute face right now! Don't you want to see it?" Tomoe shook his head. He did NOT want to see the expressions she made when another man was making her feel that way. Mizuki sighed and stood up "Okay, Okay..." With that, the image of the two bodies twisted with pleasure, and the sounds of Nanami moans drifted far away. This time he heard sobs. She laid face down on her pillow, her body shaking violently. He watched her as she grabbed her book, and began to quickly scribble some words on a page. Stepping behind her, he began to read over her shoulder. _"I waited so long to see him again, and when I did I was too excited to even realize that he was acting oddly. I thought it was because of what happened, but there has to be more to it. He just told me that it's over, and I don't feel like moving ever again. Why did I do this in the first place? My first time, and everything else that I felt, was all for nothing. All to be thrown away without a second thought. It doesn't matter anymore. Nothing does." _Tears stained the pages as she wrote, and Tomoe was struck with grief as he read the words. _"I will never feel him touch me again, if he doesn't love me, who will?" _Nanami reread he words, and fell back into her bed. Holding her pillow in her arms, she tucked her head into it. "Never again." The words were a hoarse whisper, and Tomoe stared longingly at her. 'If only I had known.' He looked away "Let us go somewhere else." Mizuki nodded 'How strongly she felt.'

The scenery changed, and Tomoe was surrounded by light. Trees gently swayed in the breeze, and he saw Nanami walking in the forest. "Yesterday?" Tomoe turned to look at Mizuki. "I was curious about what happened!" Mizuki smiled, and walked to Nanami's side. Tomoe watched as Nanami sat on a large boulder. "Do you want to hear her thoughts?" Mizuki turned to look at Tomoe. "So stupid." Nanami held a bitter expression a she spoke. "Yes, can we?" Mizuki nodded, and grabbed a small pouch from his pocket. Tomoe watched as Mizuki threw a handful of the contents of the bag into the sky. It was a shimmering dust and the sunlight reflected multiple colors as it rained down around Nanami and Mizuki, and hung in the air. "You need to be within this mist to hear her. It will follow her, and you can also feel her emotions."

Tomoe nodded and walked towards Nanami, and was suddenly struck with a thick sense of depression. 'I can't even feel anything anymore.' She ran her fingers through her hair, and looked at the moss on the rock. Running a finger over it she sighed. 'How dare he say we both decided that! He's just trying to look good in front of Mikage... Or maybe he...' An image of himself and Nanami flickered in his mind. 'No... No he couldn't still care.' She looked up at the sky. 'How long has it been since I have been touched? Two weeks? A month? Everything has blurred together now. It feels like it's been so long.' A dreamy expression crossed her face. 'When was the last time he...' An image of a kiss crossed his mind quickly followed by one of him holding her close as he began to enter her. He and Nanami shook their heads at the same time, trying to shake the thought away.

Seconds later Mikage approached them. "You must be freezing!" Nanami shook her head and they chatted for a second. 'He's warm... I can feel again.' The depression faltered as she rubbed her hands together and Tomoe watched as he slid his coat over her. Mikage had sat down beside her and they began to drink together. He asked her why she was so quiet, saying she was away from Tomoe, so she should feel better now. More images of her and Tomoe flashed before him, and Tomoe became overcome with emotions. "Tomoe, you shouldn't touch her!" He did not hear Mizuki, all he could think about was Nanami. Before Mizuki could react, Tomoe placed his lips to hers. Nanami's face flushed and she placed her fingers to her lips, as if she felt him.

'I've had too much to drink. How could Mikage break the numbness? I can even feel the breeze on my lips... He's almost as handsome as Tomoe...' Mikage turned to face her "Breeze?" Nanami, Mizuki, and Tomoe all stared at him dumb founded. "What? " Nanami could not conceal her expression. "Oh nothing, I was startled by the breeze, that's all..." Mikage smiled and removed his hat. "Mizuki, He can hear her too! Get rid of the dust!" Mizuki started jumping around trying to grab the colorful shimmers from the air. "There's too much! I can't get it all!" They both frantically grabbed at the air, until Tomoe, heard something he did not expect. 'It doesn't matter if I love him, he doesn't love me. I should just give up. I should just forget. It's been so long since I've-' Mikage interrupted her, asking how things have been. She answered with a smile, but it was obviously fake. A feeling of embarrassment crept over the group. 'I shouldn't have been smiling when I said that...' She turned away, and more images of her and Tomoe flashed by. Them pleasing each other with their tongues, Her pinned against the bed and bathroom wall, and even fake memories from her dream being pulled to the ground and treated harshly. _'So you enjoy being treated like this?' _His own voice echoed in his mind, and he felt her become turned on at the thought of it. Nanami squirmed slightly, readjusting herself on the rock. 'I wonder If Mikage's muscles are like Tomoe's.' An image of Mikage's head on Tomoe's body flickered into his mind.

Mikage turned to face her "Better..." "Huh?" She asked her cheeks flushing red. "I asked why you've been staring at me so oddly!" He smiled and she made some excuse about his glasses up. As Mikage removed his glasses, excitement surged through Nanami and Tomoe as well. He and Mizuki watched in silence at the two as the spoke. It lasted for hours, but one thing Tomoe was sure of was that Nanami was not turned on unless she referred to him in her mind. They started back towards the shrine, and Tomoe and Mizuki followed close behind. 'I wonder what Tomoe is doing..? No, I should not think about him... He isn't thinking about me.' They spoke a bit more and Mikage leaned against a tree. "What are you thinking?" Nanami stopped, and began to walk up to him. 'I wonder if his lips fee like Tomoe's...' She placed a hand on his chest and kissed him. Mikage froze, and for a second Tomoe felt as though he was looking at him, but then he began to eagerly return her kiss. Seconds later, he nudged her back. "You shouldn't..." With that he left, Nanami watched him as he walked away. 'Another man who doesn't want me...' she began to softly cry and sat below the tree, scolding herself, and remembering the feeling she had when Tomoe broke her heart. As the wave of emotion passed through him, Tomoe crouched to the ground to steady himself. 'So this is what she felt?'

Mizuki stood leaned on the tree trunk beside Nanami, Gripping his chest. "This kind of makes me want to sleep with Mikage too..." Tomoe glared at Mizuki. "Let's go back. I don't want to see anymore." Mizuki peered at him from where he stood "I want to know what Nanami was doing after you came back to your room. Tomoe nodded and the world shifted around them. Soft muffled sobs echoed through the shrine. They moved down the hallway in the direction of the noise. As they rounded the corner, they found Nanami sitting on the floor of the genkan her face buried in her arms, which were laid upon her knees. Tomoe did not want to see her like this, and he tried to turn away as Mizuki reached into his little pouch and threw a small amount of dust in the air. "I don't want to know what she is thinking right now... But if you do." Tomoe nodded walking until he stood in front of her. 'This is all my fault... How could i be so stupid? What did he expect from me? Why did Mikage leave? He was the only one that could make me feel again...' The words frantically jumped into her mind, the moment one crossed her another was already forming, as if she was thinking over her own thoughts. The wave of desolation and angst shook Tomoe, causing him to lean on the wall above her.

'I have no power as a Kamisama. I do nothing but get into trouble and make him save me. Of course, he hates me... How could he feel any other way..? I just get in the way... I shouldn't be here. I need to go. Before he realizes what I'm doing.' She unsteadily rose to her feet, and started towards her room. 'My head...' A splitting headache crossed Tomoe's senses as he rushed back to Mizuki's side. "Take me back!" "Why? What was she thinking?" Mizuki raised an eyebrow at him. "Take me back, hurry, she's about to leave!" Mizuki Nodded, and watched Nanami slide her door open, clutching her head as she did so. The world blurred around them, and they reappeared in Tomoe's room. The moment Tomoe saw the familiar shapes of his room he quickly started towards the door. "Tomoe, that was an hour ago!" Mizuki called out as he darted from the room.


	35. Chapter 35

"Nanami, wait!" Tomoe burst into her room, and what he saw surprised him. Nanami lay in the middle of the floor, sleeping beside her bags. 'She was too weak to even make it to the door...' He leaned down, pulling her into his arms. 'Not surprising... She didn't eat at all yesterday or today...' He laid her in her bed, and pulled the covers over her. "You worried me." His voice was soft, and even though he knew she could not hear him, he felt as though he needed to speak to her. "I know that a lot has happened, but there is nothing wrong with us still being close... We just can't do anything..." He stared down at the sleeping girl as he knelt beside her. 'What am I saying... How long would I be able to contain myself before I just...' The thought crossed his mind, and he looked away from her. 'Ripped her clothes off..? I would not be able to help myself. I can't act too differently or she will know I have been spying on her thoughts...' He stood and left the room, glancing at her over his shoulder.

Nanami awoke in a cold sweat. 'What happened?' She looked around her room, seeing that the sun had gone down, and the room was filled with darkness. Laying back down, she wished that Mikage was beside her. When he left she had become numb again, the only thing she felt was the growing anxiety that had settled in her mind as she watched him walk away. 'I can't escape now. I have to deal with this, on my own.' She stared at the door of her room, and her stomach growled. 'Oh, how long has it been since I last ate?' she thought back to the rice ball yesterday. Mikage was going to take her to get some ramen from a nearby shop, but Tomoe messed that up. 'That's right... Tomoe...' She groaned and rolled over. Her stomach gurgled again and she reluctantly stood up, and made her way out of the door. The shrine was silent, and Nanami was relieved that she did not have to face Tomoe. Entering the kitchen, she turned the light on. A small tray with a cover over it had a note with her name on it. She studied the note, and unfolded it. "Nanami, you haven't eaten yet, and it appears that you collapsed earlier. Please eat this when you wake up. -Tomoe"

She stared at his neat writing for a moment before she lifted the top of the tray. 'I couldn't eat this much if I tried!' She grabbed the base of the tray and moved it to the porch. Watching the moon as it hid behind the dark gray clouds hovering overhead, Nanami ate in silence. Small droplets of rain began to fall to the ground and Nanami Watched as ground was consumed with water making the world appear dark and dreary. When she had eaten her fill, she rose to her feet and stuck one of her hands in the rain. 'Can I feel it?' She could not, and she wondered if she would if it fell on her head, of if her clothes became wet. She stepped out into the rain holding her arms out and slowly twirling around. When she did so, a cool drop of water landed on her cheek, making her desire to stay there. 'I felt it...' She looked up at the sky and closed her eyes, feeling the cold water trickle down her face and scalp. Soon her body began to shiver, but she did not want to move, she wanted to keep feeling, even if it was temporary. For once, she was not numb, and she welcomed the sharp stinging sensation as the rain began to pour down harder than before.

The door slid open and Tomoe watched her as she stood. Her clothes were soaked, and bits of her hair clung to her face. "Nanami! What are you doing?" She jumped at the sound of his voice, turning to look at him. She only heard the roar of the rain up until then and their eyes met. She dropped her head, not moving. "What do you care?"Her voice was low, and Tomoe almost did not hear her. He began to walk towards her. "You are going to get sick!" Grabbing her wrist, he did not think about her bruise. It had faded considerably but it still hurt when touched. When he thought of it, he began to pull his hand away, but she gently placed a hand over his. "I can feel..." He stared at her wide eyed as she turned to look at him. "It's okay... It doesn't hurt much..." With a stern expression, he frowned at her. "Come on, let's go inside..." With that, he pulled her back into the shrine. Nanami did not protest, she did not make a single sound.

Tomoe left her at the genkan as he went to retrieve a towel. Nanami had not moved when he returned, she stared at the floor, not knowing what to do or what to say to him. He wrapped the towel around her shoulders. "Nanami you need to be more careful. Do not do careless things like that for no reason." He watched her as she spoke. "I have a reason..." She raised her head peering at him. "What is it?" Nanami remained silent, and shook her head. "Never mind..." With that she threw the towel back at him and started stripping her clothes off. "What are you doing? Shouldn't you go to your room or something?" Tomoe scowled at her. "Do I repulse you that much? Besides it's not like you haven't seen it before." Stunned he tried to think of what to say. "No... No you do not..." She stood in front of him with nothing but her panties and bra on. Reaching for the towel, she narrowed her eyes at him. "So you don't want me to get wet in more ways than one, huh?" Tomoe's face flushed and he looked away from her, as she wrapped the towel around her shoulders. "I still don't see why you had to get rid of Mikage... If _you_ don't want me, what's wrong with _him_ having me? What's wrong with somebody else making me feel?"

This statement angered Tomoe, before he could think about what he was doing he pushed her back against the wall. Placing a hand beside her, he leaned in closer. "I have told you before not to let anybody touch you, but you just could not listen could you? You want to know what is wrong with Mikage having you? Well he is not me! I do not want another man to have what is mine. Now you have been with somebody else. You gave up your body, because you wanted to feel loved. You did not think about the effect it would have." Tomoe's face was only inches from hers, and Nanami cold feel his warm breath. His words reminded her of the dream she had, and she spoke without thinking, "Then punish me..." Nanami stared at Tomoe, as he began to pull away from her. "Wait..."

She grabbed his shirt, and pulled him closer. "You keep confusing me... Even now. You don't want me, but you don't want anybody else to have me. Nobody else can touch me, but you don't want to touch me... What do you expect from me? I know what you want..." Letting go of him, she slid one of her hands down her body, his eyes watching her as she moved. "You want me to be alone, and have to please myself forever?" She rubbed herself through her panties, and Tomoe's ear cocked to the side as he watched with a blank expression. "Nanami, wait... Don't." he reached to grab her arm and stop her, but she grabbed his hand first. "You want to help me?" She dragged his hand over her bra and down her skin to her panties. "Nanami you know we can't..." Staring at him she let his hand go. "If you still don't want me, I don't know what could make you. I give up..." With that she turned away from him, starting towards her room.

Before she could even take a step, Tomoe grabbed her and pulled her back. His expression had grown dark, and she curiously stared at him. Without a word, he leaned into her, pulled her jaw up with his fingers, and captured her lips. Nanami felt as though she might melt as the rough kiss made its way from her lips to her neck.


	36. Chapter 36

Tomoe could not stop his mind from racing as his lips glided over Nanami's body. She had begun to moan lightly, and it only made Tomoe go farther. "Nanami, We can't get caught..." The words snapped Nanami out of the state of bliss that had overtaken her. Tomoe slid his finger under her bra, and began to pull it as though he was contemplating removing it. "Wait..." Nanami placed a hand on his chest, and softly nudged him back. "This can never be right, we can't..." With that Nanami began to walk to her room Tomoe staring after her. "Nanami-" She did not want to hear his voice, she just needed to get away. "I don't need your pity!" She turned to glare at him, startled he froze in place.

"You're just doing this because you know I've been upset... You aren't doing it out of love, or even attraction. You look at me and think, 'Oh the poor little human god is so sad she's standing in the rain', well you know what? I didn't walk out in the rain to have a pity party. It made me feel again. You drained all of my happiness, and my sense of touch, when you broke my heart... Do you even know what it's like to be numb? To not taste?"

Tomoe stared at her dumb founded. He did not know how to react and all he could think to do was to hold her, but she obviously did not want to be near him. "Nanami, it's not like that..." He started towards her, and began to wrap his arms around her shoulders as he spoke. She stepped back, tripping, and bumping into her door as she did. "No... You have no clue what I've felt these past couple of days... You couldn't even imagine what you've done to me." She sat on the floor staring at the wooden tiles as her heart began to ache. Placing her hands on the ground, she looked up at him. "For once in my life, I welcome pain. It's the only thing that can break through the numbness. That and Mikage's warmth, but you chased him away..." Tomoe stared at her as she rose to her feet and made her way to the door. "If you love me, then prove it! If you truly want to be with me, then show me!" With that, she slammed her door shut in his face. He stared at the panels of the door, stunned by her sudden outburst.

Suddenly drained Tomoe made his way to his room. 'But I do know how you have felt...' Her words troubled him, and he wondered what he should do. He internally burned for her, and understood exactly how she felt. He had experienced the numb tingle she spoke of when he and Mizuki used that dust to hear her thoughts. Reaching down he readjusted himself through his pants. 'I shouldn't still be hard from barely even touching her...' A knot had formed in his stomach, and he felt as though his mind was on fire as he searched for the answers to his questions. 'How do i prove myself?'

Nanami sat on the floor of her room her heart racing. She was embarrassed that she snapped on Tomoe like she had, and wondered what he was thinking. 'I do want to be with him... And the only way he could prove himself to me would be if I..." Wondering why she had never thought of this before she quickly began to pull some clothes on. She darted out of her room, and the front door. Tomoe heard the door to the shrine slide open. 'Nanami?' He rose to his feet and walked to the door of his room.

Nanami ran through the rain, and into the forest. She stopped in front of a large tree, and turned to face the shrine. 'Okay, I don't know how to do this, but...' She reached her hand towards the shrine, tapping into her god power, and it buzzed excitedly inside of her limbs. She grew warm and the tingling sensation consumed her, causing the raindrops that had fallen on her and around her to evaporate before touching her skin. 'Maybe I should just say it...' Taking a deep breath she mustered all of her emotions up until they sat on the tip of her tongue. **_"Tomoe, I release you from you're familiar position. You are no longer my familiar."_**

Tomoe had started out of the shrine after Nanami after he heard the door closed. She was no longer in sight, and he followed her scent. Finally, he saw her standing beneath a large tree. 'What is she doing?' She gracefully extended her hands back at the shrine, almost directly at him. He watched as she fell into a calm state of mind. She inhaled deeply and spoke the words that released him from his contract. As she spoke, he lunged towards her but it was too late. They both began to glow, and the light that had consumed them was so bright they were forced to close their eyes. The wind furiously blew towards them, as Tomoe's hair grew out to its original length. The force of the contract shattering blew them both apart, and Nanami's back slammed against the trunk of the tree she had been leaning on. The force of the blow knocked her to the ground, and she sat in a dazed state. 'Did I just see Tomoe?'

Tomoe was flung in the opposite direction landing on the ground, about ten feet from where he had stood. He heard Nanami cry out, as she was slammed to the tree, and began to raise himself to his feet, pain shooting through his body. As he approached her, his mind was still in a confused state. "Nanami! Are you okay? Why did you do that? Did I upset you that much? Do you really want me to leave?" She remained slumped against the tree. "No... I did it so we could be together... I want you to be with me, without consequences. So we can be happy..." She tried to stand, but the jolting pain caused her to fall back to the ground. "Please forgive me Tomoe..." With that her vision began to blur, and she lowered herself down, laying in the mud. 'She must be drained... She probably used all of her strength...' Tomoe felt as though a binding chain around his neck had been removed. He no longer held any obligations to take care of Nanami, but he could not imagine himself doing anything else.


	37. Chapter 37

A warm hand raised Nanami from the ground and she turned to face Tomoe as he picked her up. "Come on, let's get you back to the shrine..." As he begun to walk back, Nanami reached up, placing her hand on his cheek. "No... Wait, we don't need to go back just yet... We can do it here..." He gazed down at her as she spoke. "Nanami, you're injured; we need to treat your wounds." Nanami softly struggled to make him put her down, but he did not loosen his arms around her. "Come on Tomoe... I'm not too tired for you!" She forced a smile, and her words caused him to falter for a second. "Nanami, We need to get you back..." Looking away from him she muttered something under her breath. "Tomoe, stop!" When he heard her words, he laughed at her. "You broke the contract remember? You can't order me to do anything anymore!" She had forgotten the fact that that was the only reason he listened to her. "Tomoe, wouldn't you rather do something else now? The pain is starting to fade. I can walk, put me down..."

He cocked his ear to the side, and placed her back on the ground. The moment she was free from his grip, she quickly pushed him back against a nearby tree. He was startled by her boldness, and placed his arms around her. "What do you think you are doing Nanami, I just told you we need to-" Before he finished his sentence Nanami stole his lips, causing his mind to run blank. He returned her kiss, the passion between them growing with each second. Soon they began to wildly snatch each other's clothes off, dropping them in the mud, not caring. The cool night air clung to their bodies as the rain dropped on their skin. Tomoe grabbed Nanami, switching positions with her, and ran his lips and tongue down her neck, snatching her bra off as he did so. Her nipples hardened as they were exposed to the cold air.

Tomoe placed a hand on the small of Nanami's back, pulling her close to himself, as he caressed her breast with his other hand. She moaned lightly as his teeth grazed across her nipple, causing her to grow moist with anticipation. Her back arched as her body grew warm. Tomoe moved his hand down her back, stopping when his hands reached the back crease of her thighs. He pulled her closer to him, with a force she had never felt before, which made her feel as though she would float away. Tomoe began to lift her from the ground spreading her legs as he did so. "Wait, not yet..." He lowered her, and she fell to her knees in front of him. Tomoe watched as she looked up at him, stroking his manhood with her hand. She placed her free hand on the backside of his thigh as she brought him to her lips. They parted allowing him to enter her mouth, and she pulled him deeper with her hands.

The burning sensation that Tomoe felt for Nanami intensified, as Nanami's tongue glided back and forth along his length. Tomoe looked to the sky in an attempt to cool himself with the rain, but to no avail, the longing he felt only grew causing him to grow warmer. Overcome with lust, Tomoe pushed Nanami back, and lowered himself over her. Running his tongue down her neck, and body until her reached her most sensitive area. Nanami writhed with pleasure as his tongue teased her clit. He pushed her legs wider apart, and Nanami let out a long moan grabbing his hair as she felt all control slipping from her body. Nanami felt her muscles tighten, and she pulled Tomoe up to her lips. "Tomoe, you've got to stop..." He stared at her and their lips locked together again as he raised her off of the ground. He placed her back against the trunk of a tree as he held her, parting her legs. Their tongues still mingled, as he began to thrust inside of her, causing her to groan into his lips.

He tightened his grip around her waist, breaking the contact between their lips, thrusting her down on to his shaft and pulling her back to the tip. She moaned loudly, as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Ohh, Tomoe... More..." Her words excited him and he placed her back onto the ground. "Put your hands on the tree." She did as he said, as he ran his nails over her back, causing small goose bumps to rise on her skin. He placed one hand on her hips, and held himself in the other. Pushing himself back into her. He allowed his motions to grow rough, causing her to cry out as she leaned onto the tree to steady herself. Tomoe felt himself reaching his limit, and pulled out of her. "What is it? Why are you stopping?" Nanami turned to look at him over her shoulder. Tomoe held an expression that she had longed to see again. The look from the first time they had been together, he reached around rubbing her clit, and leaned over her. His lips were beside her ear, and she was shocked by his words.

"Let's try something different..." "Different how?" Nanami's heart raced as she spoke. "I promise to take my time getting in..." He placed himself at the entrance of the only place he had not felt yet. "Last time you felt this it was just a dream... Let me show you the real thing." With that, he began to force his way inside of her. A loud moan erupted from her lungs, turning Tomoe on even further. He was still moist with her cream, and it helped him to slide into her. As he thrust deeper her moan turned into a scream, and raw instinct surged through his body, taking him over. Unable to contain himself any longer, he tightened his hand against her clit, causing Nanami to groan even louder. The knot in his stomach released as he climaxed deep inside of her. When the force of the climax finished shaking his body, he dropped to one knee. Nanami slumped against the tree and turned to look at him. Seeing he was still erect, she straddled him as she lowered herself back onto him. Tomoe placed a hand on her cheek, gazing at her lovingly as she began to grind against him. She began to pump harder; Tomoe dropped his hands to her hips, and squeezed her affectionately. She twisted her body in a way that she had never done before, causing his nails to sink into her flesh. She cried out, and Tomoe groaned in unison. Nanami became overcome with a strong wave of ecstasy.

Tomoe pulled her down over himself one last time, and they climaxed together, both of them breathlessly panting. Nanami laid down on top of him suddenly tired. "Tomoe..." Her voice was low, and he placed his arms around her. "Stay with me forever... Don't leave, just stay by my side." Tomoe smiled as she spoke, running his hand over her hair, and gently pulling stray strands out of her face. "You don't ever have to worry about that Nanami. I'll always be here." With that Nanami let out a deep sigh. She looked up and captured his lips.

She slipped into a dream and Tomoe lay below her feeling emotions he had never imagined existed before. As he drifted into a satisfied slumber, the last thought that crossed his mind made a smile dance onto his lips. 'And now I feel complete.'


	38. Chapter 38

The soft morning light caressed the skin of two sleeping figures, hidden amongst the trees. Birds chirped in the distance gently pulled Tomoe from his dream, and he had begun to sit up until he saw Nanami still laying on his body. Placing his arm around her shoulders he began to recall the events of the previous night. He soon realized that they would have to explain this to Mizuki, Onikiri and Kotetsu. "Nanami, It is time to wake up." He lightly nudged her with his arm, and she groaned in response. "Nanami, come on." Sitting up he held her close to his chest, forcing her to sit up as well. "We need to get dressed. We have to go back to the shrine." Nanami felt rather lazy, and a sharp pain ached in her back. She didn't want to move from where she and Tomoe had laid down yet, the moment felt perfect and she wished time would stop.

"Come on Nanami..." Tomoe lightly shook her, causing her to reluctantly open her eyes, and yawn. "Okay, okay." She couldn't think of much more to say. Nanami started to stand but Tomoe held her tightly by her waist, placing his free hand on her jaw. "Good morning, Nanami." He smiled charmingly and lovingly kissed her lips. "Good morning." She returned his smile. "We need to be careful when we kiss. Do not think of me as a familiar, or I will become one again." With that the two stood up and started searching for their clothes. "Tomoe I think they're all covered in mud..." Tomoe had been staring at his clothes as well. "Yes, That is what happens when they get thrown in mud, and left all night." He sounded serious, even sarcastic, but his words caused Nanami to chuckle.

"Here, Nanami, Put this on." He wrapped his shirt around her shoulders, tying it tightly around her body. "It is not too dirty." He slid his pants on and they gathered the rest of her clothes. Starting towards the shrine Tomoe reached and grabbed Nanami's hand. She walked a few steps behind him, gazing at the toned muscles of his back as they moved. "When we get back in the shrine we need to change as quickly as possible. It will be obvious where we have been. Also," He paused gazing at her over his shoulder. "We have to tell everybody why I am no longer your familiar." Nanami hadn't thought of this before and grew more nervous with each step.

"Tomoe, my back is hurting..." She hadn't wanted to mention it, as it seemed that admitting he as right last night would ruin the moment, but she couldn't keep herself from telling him. He stopped and turned to face her. "Let me see..." was all he said as he began to remove his robe. Nanami's face burned, as this was the first time that Tomoe had removed her clothes for something like this. She still felt a twinge of excitement as he pulled it down to see. "Oh, Nanami..." He fell silent and she waited anxiously for him to speak. "Nanami, I told you we needed to go back. You have a horrible bruise, but I'm surprised that it isn't worse." He readjusted the robe around her, and they began to walk again, a gentle breeze blowing in the direction of the shrine carried a scent that caused Tomoe's ear to twitch. Suddenly he began to laugh startling Nanami, she could not recall ever hearing him do such a thing. "Really, Nanami? You're getting aroused at a time like this?" He raised an eyebrow at her, and she looked away. Before she could answer him they arrived at the porch of the shrine.

"Okay, straight to our rooms. Silently..." She nodded, and they slid the door open, just as they did Kotetsu started to round the corner, and they ducked out of sight. After a few seconds the coast was clear and they quickly parted, making their way to their rooms. After they had changed, and washed all of the mud off of themselves, Tomoe began to cook breakfast. Nanami walked into the kitchen somewhat surprised. "I didn't expect you to still take care of the place... Or cook for me." He gazed at her over his shoulder. "Well, I doubt that you could cook." A smirk spread across his face, and Nanami became slightly irritated. "Of course I can! I can make cup noodles..." He stared at her oddly, trying to imagine what cup noodles were, but before they could continue their conversation Mizuki drowsily walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning Nanami. Good morning T-" Now wide awake, he stared at Tomoe's hair, and clothes. He saw that Tomoe's claws had grown longer and held a confused expression. "Nanami... Tomoe is different." Nanami nervously laughed, and scratched her head. "Yeah, He is! I umm. I broke his contract!" Unable to control the tone of her voice, she continued to laugh in an unusual manner. Tomoe and Mizuki both raised their eyebrows at her oddly. Suddenly Onikiri and Kotetsu entered the kitchen. "What happened?" They both stared at Tomoe dumbfounded. "Nanami-sama, what have you done?" Soon they began to panic, speaking so quickly Nanami could not decipher their words. "Wait you two! Slow down! It's nothing bad!" Mizuki eyed her, "Nothing bad you say? Well I don't understand why you have done this!" Kotetsu and Onikiri nodded in agreement.

"Well- You see..." Nanami couldn't think of the words to say, that would explain everything properly. Tomoe walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. Everybody stared wide eyed, at his display of affection. "We are in love." That was all he said to them, and they didn't move. Their expressions remained surprised, and nobody spoke for what seemed like an hour. Tomoe walked back to the stove, turning it off, and began to prepare the food again. Nanami blushed and lowering her eyes to the ground. "Yes... This was the only way we could be together..." Finally regaining his composure Mizuki nodded. "Okay..." His voice was low, and he slowly nodded again. "I hope you don't mind being my only familiar, Mizuki." Nanami watched him as she spoke. Quickly perking up he smiled. "Of course not!" With that he left the room. Onikiri and Kotetsu approached Tomoe. "If you are not a familiar, why are you cooking?" He turned to look at them. "Nanami still needs somebody to take care of her."

The air in the room became thick, causing Nanami to become nervous as the two floated to her side. "Nanami, this is not proper. Just because he is no longer your familiar, does not change the fact that he was before." Staring after them as they left the room, Nanami breathed a sigh of relief. "Well those two don't seem happy about this." Tomoe placed her food neatly on a tray, and returned to her side. "That is why they are not a part of our relationship." He smiled softly at her, causing her to grin in return. "I guess you're right." With that Tomoe gently embraced her. "Where do you want to eat?" Nanami shrugged in response. Tomoe grabbed the tray of food, carrying it to the porch, Nanami following close behind him.


	39. Chapter 39

_"I can't let her be with him. You know it's wrong!"_

"I know, but we should not go against her."

_"I know how to fix this. I know what we can do."_

"You're not thinking of..?"

_"I am... Let's get started."_

Days had passed since Tomoe and Nanami broke the news to everybody. Everything returned to normal, Tomoe taking care of the shrine with Mizuki, and then cooking dinner, and breakfast. The only thing that had changed was Tomoe and Nanami's relationship. They spent the better half of the day together, and some nights even slept together. There were times when they would disagree, but their arguments were never serious. One of them would always give in, and eventually they would find themselves back in one of their rooms, passionately ripping each other's clothes off, and playing with the others body. When they finished it was always as if they had never had a disagreement, and life continued as per usual.

It was a cold day, and the sun would only occasionally peak out from behind the clouds that seemed to absorb all of its warmth. Nanami gazed at Tomoe, as a beam of light that shined from the window she leaned on illuminated his silver hair. "Are you ready to head to class now?" Startled that she had been caught looking at him, Nanami quickly lowered her gaze to her feet."Yeah, okay." She nodded as she spoke, and Tomoe, shifted his gaze to her. She was seated on a small window seal, waiting for the bell to ring and call everybody to class.

"So Nanami, what do you want to do after school?" A single fang grazed his lip. He smirked as he spoke, lightly running one of his nails under her jaw; forcing her to meet his gaze. Her face flushed as he inched closer towards her, she could almost feel his velvet lips against hers. She did not move, practically stunned with anticipation. Her eyes shifted, and she was met with dozens of angry expressions. Girls who had their hopes set on Tomoe, crowded around the entrance of their classroom, and watched the two of them from where they were standing. Tomoe, quickly pulled back, the same cocky grin played on his lips. "Tomoe I keep telling you not to do that!" Nanami's voice was a hushed whisper. Tomoe's expression did not change; he simply grabbed her hand, and led her to the classroom, causing more girls to glare at the couple.

"Tomoe! I made too much for lunch today, so I thought you might help me out. I brought an extra bento!"

A cute girl from the class next door stood in front of Tomoe's desk, two lunch boxes in hand. Nanami watched him as he responded. "Forgive me, I also made too much for lunch this morning, I plan on sharing it with somebody today." The girl pouted, and started towards the door, only looking back to give Nanami a menacing glare. "Have you noticed something strange here recently?" Nanami stared at Tomoe as she spoke. "Not really, why?" His voice was calm and he watched the students pour into the room. "No reason!" Not wanting to make a big deal out of nothing, Nanami shifted her attention to the window. 'A lot of girls have been trying to hit on him today... Not like that's unusual, but more than normal.'

Every time she spoke, moved, or even just glance at Tomoe, a group of girls across the room would snicker to each other, and begin to text their friends. Feeling uncomfortable Nanami excused herself, heading to the bathroom, Tomoe and the rest of the class watching her as she left. 'I can't let them get to me..!' Mentally preparing herself to face the angry glares, and various dirty looks she had been getting for the past few days Nanami leaned over the sink. 'And Tomoe doesn't make this any easier by always touching me in public!' She stared at her reflection, and as she did so a stall door opened behind her.

"Well _look_ who it is." The girl from earlier emerged from the stall a scowl on her face. "Nanami Momozono, and look, you're alone!" The girl walked to the sink beside her, typing on her phone. When she finished she snapped it shut, shoved it in her purse, and began to wash her hands. "I sure hope you and Tomoe aren't doing anything inappropriate." Nanami was silent; she stared at the sink as the girl glared at her. "It would be a shame if I had to tell the principal. 'Oh sir, I don't mean to speak badly about anybody, but I'm just so concerned for Miss Momozono! Ever since she started living with that boy's family!'" The girl feigned innocence, causing Nanami to grow angry. Just as she was going to speak, the bathroom door opened, and four more girls walked in.

"Wow, she's still here! I thought she would be gone by now!" The girls all laughed, as they walked to form a small semi circle around Nanami. She turned to face them, leaning back onto the sink as her heart began to pound. "So Momozono, what kind of relationship do you have with Mikage-kun?" All four of the girls frowned at her, their mouths twisted in a wicked grin. Nanami did not know what to say to them, she became more nervous as the seconds passed. "Were friends..." Was all she said, as adrenaline began to course through her veins. "Well I sure hope that's all. For your sake..." The girl who responded to her had short black hair, and she crossed her arms as she spoke. "He almost kissed her today though! I saw it!" Another girl with a long brown pony tail chimed in. turning to look at her friends.

"Well, you should leave him to the _real_ girls, like us!" The first girl that had come from the stall sneered. She placed her hands on her hips, and all of her friends nodded in agreement. "The only reason a guy like him would want you is your body, and nothing else. He could never love somebody like you! You're just a practice girl! You don't even have a chest!" The girls curly black hair bounced as she spoke, and she waved her hands under her breasts to emphasize that they were rather large, causing her friends to laugh.

"Yeah look at her, it's not like she's pretty..."

"Or smart, she is always one of the last people to finish a test..."

"Yeah, he would be better off with one of us."

The group of girls began to snicker amongst each other, and Nanami's face burned as she heard their words. "You girls don't know anything!" Feeling invaded, Nanami spat her words at them. She had had enough of their cruel statements. They all stared at her, surprised that she had spoken. "How could you think anybody would want to be with you? You all have such ugly personalities! It doesn't matter if you're cute when you act so nasty." Clenching her fists Nanami lowered her chin, and glared up at the group.

"Oh, now she thinks she knows about love!" A girl with short light brown hair nudged her friend, and the girls laughed. "Just look at yourselves, you all were too scared to speak to me alone, so you came in a big group like this to try to intimidate me! If I want to date him, then -" The door to the bathroom opened. "Kei!" Nanami was relieved to see her friend walk through the door. Kei was slightly startled at the sight of five girl surrounding Nanami. "What's going on in here?" Before the girls could say anything Nanami answered. "They are all angry that Tomoe is always with me, so they decided to corner me and threaten me." The girls turned to look at Nanami, and then back to Kai.

"We aren't angry, we're just giving her some friendly love advice. She's the one that asked us!" The girl with curly hair smiled at Kai who slowly approached them. Before anybody could say any more words, the door opened once more. "Nanami?" Tomoe walked right into the girl's bathroom. All of the girls including Nanami stared at him wide eyed as he walked through the group of girls and to Nanami's side. "You worried me; you were taking too long, so I came to check on you."

"Why is he in here?!"

"He just walked right in!"

All of the girl's jaws dropped as he grabbed her hand. "Come on, It is not good to skip class, you need to study. You can talk to your friends another time." With that, he began to lead her from the room. "These aren't my friends, they were yelling at me because we're always together..." Tomoe turned to look at the girls as Nanami spoke. "Is that so?" Panic set over the group, and they quickly grew defensive.. "No! No we weren't! We were just-" Tomoe stared at the girls as he gracefully placed his lips against Nanami's, causing her mind to run blank, and the girls to gasp, and fall silent. "Let us go Nanami, and when we get _home_, we will..." He narrowed his eyes at the girls, as they stared after the pair, taken aback by what they had seen, and possibly just heard… Nothing was left for them to look at, just the door closing behind the couple.

"Even in a normal place like this, you still manage to get yourself into trouble." Tomoe donned an annoyed expression, and Nanami stared at her feet as they walked. "Well, I didn't really do anything. It happened because you feel the need to tease me here." He turned to look at her, slightly smirking. "That is what caused this?" Nanami remained silent. "Well, I guess it cannot be helped."

The rest of the day was a blur as the words that the cute girl with curly hair had spoken, echoed in her mind. 'The only reason he would want you is your body!' Nanami reminded herself that it was not true, but deep down she felt as though the girl could be right. 'She doesn't know anything about us!' Sighing she gazed dreamily out of the window, leaning her chin into her hand. The wood of the desk was slightly cold against her elbow, and she did not hear a single word the teacher was saying. Unbeknownst to her Tomoe was watching her the whole time.


	40. Chapter 40

Nanami stared up at the grey clouds as they threatened to break open, and drench the world. Tomoe had been watching her carefully since he pulled her from the bathroom the previous day, and she could not help herself from still feeling slightly nervous. They waited for the bus together, and when it arrived, Tomoe carried her bag for her. As they arrived at school, a cold drizzle began to fall to the ground. "Just in time!" Nanami grinned at Tomoe, who held no expression what so ever. "Let me get my note books out of my locker..." He nodded, as she darted down the hallway. Tomoe watched her as she slid the lock around, finally getting the combination right. The lock snapped open, and Nanami removed it, and opened her locker. Grabbing her books, something in her peripherals caught her attention. A small folded piece of paper was taped to the side of the locker. _"Watch your back." _

Nanami stared at the words on the paper, shocked. 'How did this get in here? It's not like it was just slid through the slots, it was taped...' She felt Tomoe's eyes watching her from down the hallway, and quickly balled the paper up. "Sorry I took so long..." She forced a smile as she walked to his side, and he stared at her. Tomoe knew something had been wrong since the day before, but Nanami did not seem as though she wanted to talk, or even think about it.

They made their way to the classroom, and sat in their seats. Nanami had not said a single word to Tomoe the whole time; she had not even looked at him. "Nanami... What is wrong?" She turned to look at him, a concerned expression on her face. "Nothing." She did not want to tell him. She did not want to seem so helpless, and she figured that a group of angry teenage girls would be a stupid thing to concern him with. She felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Do not worry about anything."

Students began to pour into the classroom, and Nanami watched as they all took their seats. She tore a small sheet of paper from her notebook and began to scribble some words down quickly. "When we're in class we should talk like this if other people are around. That way the teacher doesn't know we're talking, and people can't hear us. Try to pass this when people aren't looking." She folded the paper and slid it on Tomoe's desk. He eyed the paper and began to unfold it. The man stared at the words for a second and began to write back to her. "So this is why you are not learning anything in school. You should not be passing notes in class. Now tell me what's bothering you." He passed it back discreetly, and Nanami stared at his neat handwriting slightly exasperated. "No I don't normally pass notes. And I told you it's nothing." "Why did you even write me this note then?" Tomoe raised an eyebrow at her, as he slid the note onto her desk. Nanami sighed in dismay. "I was just nervous about gym today. We have to run for an hour straight, and I've never been very athletic."

Tomoe snickered as he read her words. Nanami did not mean to lie to him, but it was the only way she could stop him from worrying. Tomoe wrote her back saying that she needed the exercise. As she wrote, a girl in the back of the class spoke. "Excuse me, Sensei; I think Momozono-chan is passing notes." Tomoe turned to look around and Nanami shoved the paper into her notebook. The teacher walked to her desk, demanding the note, but Nanami persistently told her she did not know what the girl was talking about. After the attention in the room shifted back to the lesson, Nanami flipped through the pages of her notebook. There was only one empty sheet left and that soon became filled with small disorganized notes. Nanami turned to face a girl that was seated behind her.

"I'm sorry, but do you have an extra sheet of paper I could borrow?" The girl glared at her, a small smirk playing on her lips. "No. I don't have any extra sheets. Sorry." The girl laid her notebook on the desk, and Nanami stared a large stack of blank sheets that was about an inch thick. Turning to face Tomoe, she tugged on his sleeve. "Tomoe, may I borrow a sheet of your paper?" He nodded and handed her the sheet he had been leaning on. The page was covered in small doodles. A sword, a fox, the teacher, and Nanami gazing out of the window. She stared at the intricate details he had used to draw her, and a smile crossed her lips. She had intended to take note, but this sheet of paper meant much more to her.

On the way to her next class, she stopped back by her locker, and found two more pieces of paper taped inside of it. "Wednesday is the day." "See you in gym." She stared at the notes. One was written neatly, while the other was a more of a scribble, and both forms of handwriting were different from the first.

'Who is doing this?'


	41. Chapter 41

_"Sempai, she's in the locker room now." _

"Alright. Thank you for telling me. Here, you can have this!"

_"Oh! Really? It's so cute! Just tell me when you need anything else!"_

"Okay guys lets hurry before she finishes! Just hang this up there..."

"No. No, you aren't doing it right... Give it to me!"

Nanami changed her clothes, and quickly pulled her hair back. She made her way to the door. "Oh, My head band!" She had almost forgotten it, and ran back to her locker. After she found it she pulled it over her head, and positioned it. As she opened the door, she was covered in something that was freezing cold, and wet. She froze in place as her clothes began to cling to her skin. Her hair dripped icy water down her back, and she shivered. Before she could react lights began to blink in her face. Startled she began to cover herself. Her white shirt had become see through, and she saw the girls from the bathroom standing before her, snapping pictures. Her heartbeat quickened, and she spun around heading back into the locker room, the sound of the girl's laugh following her.

"Oh look at you! We didn't know you would be here!" They laughed even harder. "Momozono, you really should watch where you're walking!" Nanami's face burned. "What's wrong? You too stupid to say anything back?" another girl chimed in. "Hey Mi-chan, what's today?" The girl with curly black hair narrowed her eyes at Nanami as she spoke. "Monday." The girls all nodded in unison. "We warned you."Mi's gaze did not shift. "Come on girls, we need to get to class before we're late. Momozono, you might want to change." The girls snickered and made their way to the door, leaving Nanami cold, drained, and speechless. 'I think I have an extra outfit...' She made her way back to her locker. Grabbing a towel she used for after class showers, she dried her hair and stripped her clothes.

When she found her extra gym uniform, she noticed something was not right, but it was not until she put it on that she realized what it was. 'It's really tight!' Staring at her reflection, she decided that it was acceptable for today, but she knew it would not be comfortable. The shorts were squeezing her in all the wrong places, but it was not noticeable. 'They must have switched this...' Finally making her way to the gym, she made an excuse to tell the teacher, and began to run with the rest of the class. Tomoe had been waiting for her, and slowed down for her to catch up. The clothes left no room for her to breathe, and she could barely even run. "Where have you been?" He gracefully jogged beside her, not even breaking a sweat. "I couldn't find my uniform." The lie slipped out before she could think to stop it. "Um, what's wrong with your clothes?" She stared down at the tight shorts. "It's just an extra uniform." She forced a small smile as he peered at her. "Your hair is wet, were you outside?" Nanami quickly searched her mind for an excuse. "I spilled a drink on myself, so I took a shower." She was still cold from the ice water, and a shiver ran down her spine.

Tomoe stared straight ahead, as the group of girls from the bathroom approached from behind. "Those clothes really accentuate you're chest Momozono!" They laughed as the girl spoke, causing Nanami to drop her head. "She looks like an ironing board!" Another girl snickered causing more laughter. As she ran, a sharp pain jolted up her ankle, causing her to stumble, and land on her knees and palms. Nanami looked up only to find the girl with the curly black hair smirking at her over her shoulder. 'That bitch!' Tomoe helped her to her feet, and as she stood, a painful lump formed in her throat. "Be more careful Nanami." Tomoe's voice snapped her from the chain of sinister thoughts that had begun to course through her mind.

When class was over Nanami hurriedly rushed to the locker room changed and took her wet uniform with her, wrapping it in a small plastic bag. 'The day seems to be passing so slowly!' As she made her way to the door, a thought crossed her mind. Meeting back up with Tomoe, she told him to wait ten minutes and she should be back. Returning to the room, when most of the girls had cleared out, she found a tall locker that did not belong to anybody. She silently hid until the girls entered the room and made their way to their lockers.

"That was so funny! Did you see the face she made when the water hit her?" The girl with short brown hair began to remove her clothes. "Yeah! She was mortified!" The girls began to laugh. They chattered amongst themselves about meaningless topics; fashion, boys, and their grades, until the girl known as Mi-chan brought up the subject Nanami had been curious about all day. "So is everybody clear on what they will do Wednesday?" The other girls nodded and grinned at her. "I'm The look out!" The girl with long brown hair stated. "I'm the bait!" another girl chipped in. "I'm the distraction!" "I'm the _friend_!" "And I'm the party." Mi Laughed as she spoke. 'What could they be planning?' Nanami wished they had said more, but the girls made their way to the shower, bringing their clothes with them. When Nanami was sure they were fully immersed and felt secure, she made her move.

Silently opening the locker, she stepped out and made her way to the shower room. The girls all had their curtains closed and she spotted their clothes and a bottle of skin oil on a nearby table. She grabbed the five pair of folded clothes, taking care not to make a sound. Grabbing the oil, she squirted the contents of the bottle at the entrance of the showers, and the tile leading to the doorway she stood in. 'Here goes.' Nanami took a deep breath as she carefully made her way to the only toilet of the room. It was closer to the door then the showers so she was sure she had a chance to escape. She piled the clothes into the toilet, and flushed it, fleeing the locker room, leaving the sound of screaming girls and loud thumps behind her.

"You took longer then you said you would." Tomoe seemed annoyed, but Nanami could not help herself from laughing. "I'm sorry; I had to wait longer than expected for a free shower."


	42. Chapter 42

Mizuki filled Nanami's cup with sake, and she quietly thanked him. "What's wrong Nanami? You've been acting strange lately!" She shook her head at his question. "Nothing, I've just been feeling a little sick lately." It was not exactly a lie. Ever since she was doused with cold water yesterday, she had the sniffles. Today was surprisingly peaceful, except for the note in her locker that said _"We know what you did, bad move."_ Now she anxiously waited for tomorrow. It would be Wednesday, and she still had not figured out what the girls were planning.

"Nanami? Have you been listening to me?" She turned to face Mizuki who stared at her with a concerned expression. "I'm sorry, I spaced out!" Forcing a grin, she scratched her head. "What did you say?" He smiled in return staring up at the sky. "I said tomorrow is a special day!" Slightly startled Nanami raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh yeah? What is it?" "It's the new moon! They say if there is anything you don't want in your life that's the day to get rid of it!" He gazed up at the stars, and Nanami finished her cup. "One more please." Was all she said. Mizuki eyed her. "That's what you said last time..." He began to refill her cup and they sat in silence, as the gentle breeze caressed their skin.

The door slid open, and Tomoe emerged from the shrine. Nanami felt slightly drunk as he lowered himself beside her, his hair blowing in the breeze. "Nanami, you have been acting oddly lately..." Mizuki nodded in agreement, and she stared down into her cup, to avoid their stares. "I'm sorry... I just... Oh I don't know..." She contemplated whether or not she should tell them. Before she had completed her thought process, she spoke. "A group of girls have been bothering me at school lately... I just don't know what to do! They say that they will do something tomorrow, but I have no clue what it is..." Tomoe and Mizuki stared wide eyed at her. "Why haven't you told me this?" Tomoe's voice was cold, even angry, but Nanami could not stop herself from talking. "They dropped a balloon filled with cold water on me, and switched my extra uniform out for an extra small one. So, I decided to get them back. I threw their clothes in the Toilet and sprayed oil all over the tile when they were in the shower..." Mizuki laughed as she told them of her revenge, but his expression soon became serious, and matched Tomoe's. "You should have told me, Nanami!" Mizuki narrowed his eyes at Tomoe. "Aren't you supposed to be going to school to protect her? Why aren't you paying closer attention?" He did not answer. Staring at Nanami, he scowled and nodded slowly. "You're right snake..."

With that, Tomoe stormed from the porch. Mizuki turned to Nanami. "So what do you plan to do?" "I'm not sure." She gazed up at the sky watching a dark cloud roll by. When she had finished drinking, she entered the shrine, and searched for Tomoe. He was nowhere to be found, so she assumed he must be in his room, and opened his door. "Hey, Tomoe?" He did not respond, the room was dark and his back was to her. His still body appeared to be sleeping, but she knew he was awake. "Tomoe, are you going to sleep with me tonight?" Silence engulfed her, and she slowly backed out of his room. 'He must really be angry with me this time...' Bidding Mizuki a good night, she made her way to bed, and quickly recorded the day's events in her Diary. 'I wonder what they will do...' She laid back onto her pillow. An hour had passed and Nanami had restlessly tossed and turned unable to catch even a wink of sleep. As the minutes passed, she progressively became more anxious. 'Calm down...' Was all she could think. Despite her words, a knot had formed in her stomach, only causing her to become more uncomfortable.

Rising to her feet she tip-toed unsteadily across the shrine, and into Tomoe's room. 'He may not want to speak to me, but he won't kick me out!'


	43. Chapter 43

Wednesday had finally come, and Nanami had barely gotten an hour of sleep. Exhausted she slowly carried herself to the bus stop, Tomoe walking by her side. He had been silent the whole time, and it caused an uncomfortable atmosphere. The bus ride seemed to be longer than usual but at the same time Nanami wished it would break down, so she could escape the girls and their plan. It was another gray day, and thick clusters of clouds rolled by. As she neared her locker she prepared herself for more threatening notes. There were two more sheets of paper taped to the wall of her locker. "Today is the day." "Can't wait to see you..."

She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. 'What's this?' Taped inside of her notebook was a picture of herself. Drench in water, her eyes closed and her mouth twisted in a silent scream. Her white shirt was see through see through, her arms and body where in an awkward position. There were also small gleaming specks of ice on her shoulders, and in her hair. She quickly closed her notebook, and motioned for Tomoe to come to her side. He made his way through the sea of students, and when he arrived, he leaned on the locker beside her. "What is it Nanami?" She silently showed him the notes and the picture. "I can't believe they actually printed this out!" Her heart rate had quickened and her head began to throb. The pain seeped from the back of her head, and engulfed the area between her nose and cheeks as well.

"What is this?" Tomoe reached into her locker after she had grabbed her notebooks, pulling a small neatly wrapped gift box out. He narrowed his eyes at her as he read the small tag in the side of the box. "For you my love. Your heart means the world to me. - Ryuu" Tomoe Glared at her. "What is this? Who is Ryuu?" Nanami took the box from him and read it. "I don't know! It must be those girls again!" Tomoe began to slice the box open, ready to find a trap in it, but all he found was a small box of chocolates and a teddy bear holding a rose. Frowning he turned to glare at her. "Yes because those mean girls would send you chocolates and stuffed animals! How _horrible_!" Sarcasm laced his voice and he sneered his words at her. "No, Tomoe It's not what you think! I don't know anybody named Ryuu! It has to be them! They're the only other ones that can get into my locker!" He turned away from her, box in hand, silently seething with anger.

Without warning, he quickly flung himself back around to face her, and snatched the chocolates from the box. "I don't see how this is supposed to be-!" Before he finished his sentence, Smoke started coming from the gift box. Tomoe and Nanami froze, and curiously stared down as the thick white smoke poured to the ground. "The chocolates... They were hiding a-" BANG! Startled Nanami jumped at the sound, and a few girls in the crowd screamed. A bright flash filled their gaze, followed by a loud screeching effect and various pops and explosions. Tomoe quickly threw the box the ground as stuffing began to fly into the air, and burn before their eyes. He stared at the box of chocolates, wide eyed. Nanami reached for the chocolates.

"Let me see those..." Taking the chocolates from his hand, she looked at the back of the box finding a small flint. 'It must have been positioned just right to spark when it was moved.' Opening the small heart shaped box she found another note scribbled on the lid. "And now you have no boyfriend. That's what you get for trying to get him involved. The new moon will be beautiful tonight. Try the chocolates, there's a surprise inside one of them..." She handed Tomoe the lid to the box and examined the chocolates. They were all neat, and professionally made, but one caught her eye. She read the filling description for the odd chocolate. 'Strawberry cream...'

She picked the small candy up and examined it. It was slightly melted, and the bottom of it was mashed back into place; a small thumbprint remained on it. "Tomoe there's something wrong with this one..." Nodding, he took it an ripped it in half. As he did small clear shards fell to the floor. "Glass..." Tomoe donned a startled expression as he examined it. He took another and ripped it open, revealing a needle. Angered he smacked the box of chocolate from her hands, and slammed her locker shut. Students watched them as he firmly clasped her wrist in his hand and led Nanami away.


	44. Chapter 44

"Mizuki I think I need your help... Remember how well we did against Karuma's little group? Well we need to take Nanami's little problem into our own hands... These girls are getting progressively worse." Tomoe had quickly excused himself from class, and returned home. Mizuki nodded. "What do you have in mind?"

Nanami stared at the chalkboard as the teacher spoke. She did not hear any words, and her mind raced. The event with the gift box had unnerved her, and she was still shook up. Tomoe had left the class, and was taking a while to get back. Just as she had started to worry he returned to the room. A note was slid onto her desk, and he eyed her as she unfolded it. "Nanami. I have something to do... Please do not be angry with me, and remember that you are my main priority, and the only one I love. That being said there is something I need to take care of today..."

Nanami stared at the words of the paper, and turned to look at him nodding curiously. The day slowly dragged on. On the way to her locker, Nanami noticed Tomoe slip a note into a locker they passed. Next, he walked over to one of the girls, and leaned against a wall as they spoke. Mi-chan walked over to them, smiling at Tomoe, and he smirked back. Nanami watched as he reached up, gently holding her hair in his hand. Soon more of the group surrounded him, and they laughed and nudged him, all speaking as if they were best friends. Eventually Tomoe walked away, and down the hall. Nanami staring after him, briefly glancing at the girls, as they all smirked at her. 'What is he doing?'

Tomoe had asked Mizuki to help him take care of the bullies, so Mizuki had headed to school with him. Instructed to wait in the bathroom in his snake form, he had been hiding behind the small garbage can for an hour. Tomoe had told him he would know when it was time to carry out their plan, so Mizuki patiently awaited the door to open and somebody to come in. Just as he was beginning to think the plan had gone sour, the sound of the door opening caught his attention. "Tomoe?" A short girl with long sandy hair entered the bathroom scanning the room for signs that he had arrived. When she was sure nobody else was in the room, She began to apply large quantities of makeup to her face. Mizuki watched as she rummaged around in her purse, applying lip gloss, eyeliner and some powder to her face, Before she finished with the powder he slithered over to her feet, making sure to slide across her foot. The girl looked down and let out a horrified scream when she saw the white snake wrapping around her leg. She kicked him off, dropping her makeup all over her clothes.

"I've heard of scaring the crap out of somebody, but this gives it a new meaning." Mizuki shifted into his human form as she watched, a look of terror crossing her face. A small puddle began to form around her feet, and Mizuki laughed at her as she froze in place. "So I understand that you and your friends have been bothering my friend... I don't think that is a very good idea." He narrowed his eyes on her. "Oh, where are my manners? Let me help you clean up!" He made his way to the other side of the room, where he and Tomoe left a bucket. Picking it up he strolled back to the girl who had not moved. "Here you go!" Pouring the cold water over the girls head, He laughed as he did so. "Hope you feel better now!" A smile crossed his face, and he inched closer to the girl, whose eyes became wide with fear. "I suggest you and your friends don't do anything else to Nanami... Or I'll be paying you another visit... Got it?" The girl slowly nodded, her gaze unwavering as Mizuki grinned once again. "Good! I'll see you later..." He started towards the door. "Well, actually I hope not." He peered over his shoulder at the girl giving her one final warning glance, and with that, he exited the small bathroom, leaving the girl shocked and cold.

Feeling slightly irritated that Tomoe left her side to flirt with the people who had made her dread coming to school. Nanami quickly placed all of her books in her locker and headed to gym. On the way there, she noticed a girl with long brown hair following her. 'The look out... This must be it... They're planning on doing it now...' Nanami quickened her pace. Before she could round the corner, a tall girl with short black hair approached her side. "Momozono-chan?" Nanami turned to face her. "I just wanted to say we feel really bad about the way we treated you... The girls and I have been talking and we think we got off on the wrong foot. Let's start over." The girl extended her hand to Nanami, who stared at the fake smile that was also being extended her way. "I would rather we don't talk." The response made the girl scowl, but she quickly smiled again. "Well let's talk on the way to class then, If you still don't want to speak after that, then I'll leave you alone."

They walked in silence The girl with the brown hair still following them. Soon Nanami heard loud footsteps approach them. "Rei! You've got to come quick! Amaya just fell!" A girl with long black hair rounded the corner, her brown eyes sparkling with tears. "Kinu!" Rei's voice quavered as she spoke, turning to Nanami her short hair bounced. "Nanami! My friend has fallen! It sounds really bad! Come on!" The girl grabbed Nanami's wrist and began to run in the direction of the girl who had called her, dragging Nanami behind her. "No! Let me go! That's your friend not mine!" Nanami yelled as loud as she could but the girl ignored her.

When they reached the room, Nanami was out of breath, and panted as she stared at the short girl with sandy brow hair. The girl was sprawled on the ground, her wet hair wildly framing her face. "Amaya! Amaya! Wake up!" Rei quickly fell to her knees dragging Amaya into her lap. "It's okay, that girl is here now... So there's no need to pretend anymore." The three girls laughed and stood up all slowly walking towards Nanami. "Hamako-chan, is Mi-chan here yet?" The girl known as Kinu gazed past Nanami as she spoke, her eyes were now dry, and there was no trace of her crying in her face. Nanami turned to look over her shoulder, not surprised to find the girl with long brown hair gazing around the corner. "Yeah! She's coming."

"Oh look what the cat coughed up..." The girls laughed as Mi made her way across the room, her black curly bouncing as she walked. "Well what do you say we get this over with?" The girls all nodded in agreement. Nanami tried to back away from them, jabbing her fists in their directions. Her knuckles slammed into Mi's jaw, and she cried out in pain. "You bitch! What the hell's wrong with you?"Mi glared at her holding her jaw. The other two girls managed to grab her arms, after receiving a few kicks and punches themselves. Fully restrained Nanami uttered a frustrated cry of defeat, still struggling. "If you keep that up, you're going to look worse, you know... Not that I care." Nanami watched as Mi pulled a large pair of scissors from her purse. "Hold still now... This will only take a second." Mi approached Nanami, who held a defiant look in her eyes. "Did you know you're dressing wrong? Sluts like you, who sleep with popular guys to be cool dress like this..." Nanami felt the cold metal slip across her skin, and begin to slice the front of her shirt open.

"This too..." Mi glared at her, as she reached for her skirt, ripping it upward, until her thigh hung out. Distressed Nanami began to wrestle harder now, striving to free herself from the iron grip of the girls around her. "Mi-chan, get her bra too!" Rei piped in. "Yeah that will really humiliate her!" Kinu joyously laughed. Mi's lips twisted into a grin. "Yeah, okay..." Nanami let out a scream as she felt the cold metal against her skin once more. She could do nothing as her bra fell open, and the girls laughed. "Serves her right!" The look out, Hamako, yelled across the room.

"Turn her around!" The girls quickly spun Nanami around and she attempted to free herself once more, but to no avail. The gleaming steel of the scissors traced up her leg, and snipped the fabric of her underwear and she cried out once again. "And now for the big Finale... We don't like sluts here, Nanami... So this is our final warning." Mi grabbed a hand full of her hair, causing panic to stir deep inside of Nanami. She squirmed and kicked her legs, attempting to break free once more. This time she felt a tug on her arm pulling her away. "Oh!" Mi's voice called out, as the scissors slid shut. A small amount of hair fell to the ground, and Nanami turned to look at who had saved her, and what had startled Mi. The girl who had been on the floor smiled at her oddly. She seemed scared but Nanami did not know why. "Amaya?" One of the girls gazed at her. "T-Tomoe-kun!" Nanami turned to face Mi whose wrist was firmly clasped in Tomoe's hand.

"Didn't I tell you to leave her alone Miyuki?" The girl stared wide-eyed at Tomoe as he glared into her eyes. "Tomoe-kun! I didn't... I mean, I wasn't-" He cut her off, and shoved her back onto the ground, the scissors clattered to the floor as well. "Do you see what you have done? How can I possibly rip her clothes myself now? This is quite a dilemma… That _is_ my job after all..." He narrowed his eyes at the girl. "You may not know this, but I am an incredibly jealous man... I am the only one who is allowed to undress her..." The girls all dropped their heads in shame as Tomoe walked over to Nanami, removing his shirt. "Here... Put this on, or i might..." He traced a nail up her thigh, causing small goose bumps, and a tiny bead of blood to surface on her skin. "This girl is tougher then you think... And Nanami, Didn't i tell you not to let anybody else touch you..?" She raised an eyebrow at him, as a small smirk curled his lips. With that, he scooped Nanami into his arms, and strolled out of the room. "Let's go home... When we get there I'm going to..." He turned and smirked over his shoulder at the girls who stared longingly after him.

After they exited the room, Tomoe took Nanami into the bathroom and opened a portal. "I apologize for not arrive sooner, Nanami, I was looking for you." She did not respond, just tucked her head into his bare chest. "Thank you for saving me again..."


	45. Chapter 45

When Tomoe and Nanami arrived back at the shrine, Nanami was surprised by the reaction she received from him. Instead of making sure she was okay, or unharmed, he carried her straight to his room, unbuttoning her shirt the moment her feet touched the floor. As he took in the image of her ripped school clothes, he felt himself harden. "Let me see what they did to you Nanami... Just to make sure you're okay..." His ear cocked to the side, while his eyes hungrily roamed over her body, causing Nanami to feel slightly embarrassed. She attempted to cover herself, but he pushed her hands away. "I just want to know that you're unharmed..." It was obvious from the tone of his voice that he had much more planned.

He slid his fingers over her collarbone, and down her chest. "No cuts here..." Slowly tracing his hand back up her skin, he slid the ripped shirt over her shoulder. The bra followed it, falling to the floor. Then he shifted his gaze to her skirt. "I don't see any cuts here either..." Sliding his hand back up her body and to her chest, he began to play with her nipples. They quickly became erect as Nanami felt the cold of his fingers. Before she knew it he had lowered his lips to her chest, his tongue lightly gliding over her skin. Nanami buried a hand in his hair, placing the other the exposed skin of his back, moaning lightly. The sound of her voice excited Tomoe, and he quickly snatched the remains of the skirt off her.

Abruptly stopping he stared at her panties seeing that they had been cut as well. He traced a nail over the side of her waist where the cloth used to cover. "If I did not know any better, I would assume you are trying to make me take you..." His voice was a breathy whisper, which caused Nanami to twinge with excitement. "Tomoe... Let's try something new..." He nodded, shifting his gaze to her. "What do you have in mind?" Nanami smiled playfully. "I want to try to tease you."

He raised an eyebrow at her statement and nodded. "How?" As she shifted her gaze, Nanami's face flushed. "Well, I was reading a magazine in the store the other day, and it said that when people are blindfolded, it increases pleasure... So I want to try it." A blank expression crossed his face, and his ear cocked to the side. "What kind of magazine were you reading?" Chuckling she waved her hand at him. "Nothing perverted! Just a girl magazine... You know..."

"Nothing perverted? Then why did it have that sort of thing in it?" Nanami did not respond to his question, she could think of no rebuttal. Instead, she began to push him back to the bed laughing. "Just lay down!" He silently obliged, watching her as she scanned the room. "Lend me your nails..." She grabbed the ripped shirt from the ground, making her way back to the bed. Sitting beside him, she gently grasped his finger using his nail to slice the shirt into a few thin strips. "Do I look like a pair of scissors to you?" He narrowed his eyes at her. His words had no effect on her. "It's not like you've never cut fabric with your nails before." He fell silent, and when Nanami was satisfied with the cloths, she tightly secured them around his eyes.

"I do not like this Nanami." Tomoe sat up, as if to look at her. Placing a finger under his chin she raised his lips to hers. "You will..." For a second she thought she had seen his cheeks turn a light shade of red, but she quickly told herself it was her imagination. Tomoe waited for their lips to meet, He felt the weight on the bed shift, as Nanami's legs were placed around his. She stood on her knees over him, contemplating whether or not she should kiss him or make him wait. Slowly lowering her lips to his, excitement coursed through her veins, but it was nothing compared to the anticipation that was building inside of Tomoe. As they kissed, she ran her hand through his silver hair, pulling him closer. His secure arms wrapped around her body, and she felt his hands begin to wander. Her hands settled on his ears, and she lovingly ran her thumbs over them, rubbing firm little circles in them. Tomoe let out a small sigh as she did so. She felt his hands become to bold, and broke her lips away. "I'm supposed to be teasing you... So don't touch me."

A small smirk formed on her lips, as she experienced an air of control she had never felt before. Tomoe's ears , and lips twitched in what she could only guess was annoyance, as he reluctantly lowered his arms. Pulling her body away from his she placed her lips around the tip of his ear, Tomoe sighing as she did so. She gently bit the ear and moved her lips downwards, to his chest. Taking care not to forget a single muscle she began to kiss, and lick his abs and chest, circling her tongue around his nipples. Her hair gently dragged across his skin, causing him to squirm occasionally. She began to undo his belt buckle, slightly thrilled by the fact that he never wore belts unless he was in uniform. Tomoe eagerly helped her slide his pants down, and she placed a firm hand on his abs, pushing him back into the bed. Surprised by the fact that he had regular boxers on. She felt Tomoe's body tense as she reached inside, and pull him through the hole of the boxers.

Tomoe felt Nanami's warm breath in his skin, as she licked her tongue around the head. Groaning he reached for her, but refrained himself from grabbing her as he wished. Instead he dug his nails into the mattress of his futon in an attempt to steady himself. Nanami's statement had been right and it felt as if every nerve ending in his body was writhing with pleasure. She took him into her mouth, and he lightly gasped, concluding that they needed to get a subscription to whatever magazine Nanami had been reading. Seconds grew in to minutes, and as each one passed, Tomoe felt himself reaching his limit, digging his fangs into his bottom lip. He let out a relieved sigh as Nanami stopped.

Nanami, ran her tongue over his balls and began to lightly kiss and bite his inner thighs, amused by the subtle twitches of his body, and the sound of him fighting back moans. She had begun to pause between her movements, and Tomoe was filled with anticipation, wondering when she would move her lips to next. "Nanami... Stop toying with me..." She gazed up at him, as he licked his lips, causing her to become moist. The weight on the bed shifted as Tomoe felt Nanami crawl over him. He eagerly awaited her next move, as he felt her lips slide down his chest. Nanami sat over him, and he could feel her warmth against his shaft. Her lips traced up his neck, and he felt her gently bite down. She felt him twitch against her, and looked down at him. She wondered if he had ever been this hard with her, it was almost a solid as a rock, and she soon found that she was teasing herself just as badly.

A warm hand wrapped around him, gently positioning him at her entrance. He waited readily, for what seemed like hours, as Nanami gave him one last tease. "If you want I could play with you a little more..." He shook his head in response. "NO... No... You've done well enough..." She smirked at him, though he could not see it, as she slowly began to work her way down. So slowly that Tomoe became more anxious, it felt as though he would never completely enter her warmth. About half way down, she felt Tomoe's hands clasped tightly around her hips, and Nanami moaned, not expecting what he intended. He quickly pulled her down over him, and she cried out in response, feeling him buck his hips under her. When she regained her composure, she stared down at him. "I told you not to move!" A sly smirk spread across his face. "I stayed here."

Shaking her head, she began to slowly ride him, moaning lightly as she did so. Tomoe, squirmed underneath her as short breathy groans escaped his lips. His hands ran over her legs, and slowly inched up to her hips again as he pulled her down onto himself for deeper access. Nanami continued to push his hands away, and worked her body into a rhythm. She felt him throb inside of her, and moaned loudly, as his hands found their way back to her hips. She pushed them back to the bed, and leaned over his body, placing her hands on the mattress around him. She lowered herself to his chest brushing her lips against him. His hands wandered back to her sides, but Nanami was so engulfed with the sensation that danced through her body, she did not care anymore as he firmly squeezed her hips. "Nanami..." His voice was a deep sigh, and she began to kiss his arms as his muscles tightened. 'The arms that always save me...' He began to pull her down roughly, and another loud moan forced her lips to part. She stole his lips, and he hungrily kissed her back. Nanami was intoxicated by the raw passion, and moaned in ecstasy.

Tomoe, had become overcome with desire, and felt himself reach his limit once more. Nanami's body was indulgently draped across his, as he moved her hips, and he felt the growing urge to climax. He quickly rolled over on top of her, unable to see her stunned expression, and began to roughly pump himself into her. Nanami wrapped her arms around his torso, and her leg over his back pulling him closer as untamable cries of pleasure forced their way out of her lips. He slipped a hand down to her clit teasing her with his fingers. Nanami squirmed underneath him, gasping. "Tomoe... I... Wait-" He lowered himself over her, until her felt his face was only inches from hers. "No- This is your fault..." He felt her muscles begin to tighten around him uncontrollably, pushing him closer to his limit. Stroking deeper than before he slammed into her one last time, groaning, as his body was shaken with a wave of ecstasy. Nanami cried out, in unison, her muscles still pulling him deeper.

Nanami slowly pulled the blind fold off him, as he lowered himself beside her. "You know, I should endanger myself more often..." She breathlessly chuckled as Tomoe pulled her into his arms. They fell into a sea of tranquility, as the world began to blur around them. Tomoe nuzzled her neck, resting his chin on her shoulder. "I would save you every time..."


	46. Chapter 46

Tall blades of grass, which were moistened with dew rubbed against the legs of Tomoe's kimono. The night was young, and the moon hung in the sky, brightening the world around him. He walked through a clearing of a familiar forest, searching, but for what, he did not know. Crickets chirped noisily, and he heard the sound of a river somewhere nearby. His surroundings seemed hazy, and the smell of jasmine hung in the moist air. Panic crept over him, as the bushes behind him began to rustle. Quickly turning to face the threat, a single woman emerged from the foliage. "Tomoe... Why have you forgotten me?" Frowning, he studied her as she made her way to his side. "Do you remember? There was a time when naught but myself was important."

He was sure that he knew the woman, and she seemed beautiful, and strong, yet delicate at the same time. "Who are you?" He leaned back as she wrapped her arm around him. "I am the reason... The reason you are still alive... And I am the reason you know how to love. Will you not return to me?" Her eyes pierced his, and he silently searched his memories, trying to find an explanation to this woman's words. She pulled him close and dropped her head, resting it on his chest. "Say my name, Tomoe..." He remained silent. 'What _is_ her name?'

"Say it..." He tried to recall who she was, but even if she seemed so familiar he could not put a name to her face. "You _have_ forgotten me..." Her arms fell, and she silently backed away from him. "Then I will leave. You will never again see my face." As she backed away from him he spoke. "What is your name? Who are you?" A solemn laugh parted the woman's lips. "Yu..." She took another step away. "Ki..." Turning away from him, she uttered the last sound, causing Tomoe's ears to twitch. "Ji.

'Yukiji..? Yukiji...' Realizing exactly who stood before him Tomoe extended his hand in her direction, darting to her, full speed. "Yukiji!" She turned to face him once again, arms extended. "Tomoe! You remember! I-"

Tomoe sat straight up in bed his arm still extended. He rubbed his eyes, leaning over his knees. The woman had shouted something back to him. His name, and something else, but he couldn't remember what it was. The room was dark, and he scanned every shape against the wall. 'Nanami!' His heart began to beat faster as the thought of him calling out another woman's name as he dreamed crossed his mind. He turned to look at her and found her sitting up beside him. "Yukiji?" The moon light shining through his window illuminated the soft lines of her face as she spoke. "You startled me... Yelling, and sitting up so suddenly... I suppose you were having a good dream..?" He watched her as she rose to her feet and began to search the room for clothes.

"No... Wait." Tomoe grabbed her wrist, turning her to face him. "Nanami, I didn't-" She snatched her arm back from him. "I know who Yukiji was!" His eyes widened, and his fist clenched the covers around him. "You were sleeping beside me, and dreaming about her..? Better yet, lunging to her?" His eyes shifted to the bed, and his voice caught in his throat. It definitely was not a sad sound, more of an, 'Oh, you caught me', and that is how Nanami perceived it. "So you can't even say you weren't? You won't even defend yourself, or try to convince me otherwise? I guess I must be right then..." With that, she made her way to the door.

"Nanami, you cannot go out there like that. At least take my shirt..." She gazed over her bare shoulder. "I can't wear my clothes, and I don't want your shirt." She peeked out of the door, making sure that nobody was around. "Nanami, just come back to bed... I'm telling you it wasn't that serious. I wasn't doing anything inappropriate." He watched her naked figure, as she turned to face him. She placed a hand on the back of her waist. "No, I need to do my homework... And it was serious enough to make you sit straight up in bed, scare the life out of me, and call another woman's name... Your ex's at that. I'll be going now so dream away..." With that, the door closed behind her, and Tomoe stared at where Nanami had been laying. 'My ex?'

The shrine was silent, and Nanami was thankful that she was able to slip into her room, unseen. It would have been awkward to be caught bearing all of her '**_ass_**ets' to the others. After logging everything she could think of in her diary she slumped back in the chair she was sitting in 'Yukiji huh? I guess I should not be surprised... After all she did come before I did.' Letting out an exasperated sigh, she searched her room for her school bag, only to remember that it was in Tomoe's room. 'Do I really have to go back?' Groaning she made her way to the door. 'Clothes...' She had almost forgotten she was naked. Searching the room, she found a robe, and pulled it over herself, tying the belt tightly around her waist.

As she slid the door open, she heard a slight rustling sound. She peered into the darkness, searching for the cause. Finding nothing, she took a deep breath. Nanami had never been a fan of the dark, and now was no exception. Tip toeing lightly across the mats on the floor, she made her way to Tomoe's door. She lightly tapped, an slid it open. The moon light caused his hair to seem as though it was glowing, and she longed to crawl back where she had once laid beside him. The thought of Him and Yukiji crossed her mind, and her heart began to ache, causing a bitter taste forming in her mouth. "Tomoe I need my school bag." He rolled over "Nanami, Come here." Her gaze settled on the small bag and she picked it up, strolling to the bed. She sat on the edge of the mattress, turning to look at him.

"What?" Her voice sounded softer then she had intended, and she met his strong gaze. "Come back to bed..." he wrapped an arm around her waist and began to gently pull her back to him. "Tomoe... I told you I need to do my homework." "Do it in the morning." Nanami allowed him to pull her back into the bed, laying down beside him. "I can't act as though it never happened." Her words were sudden, and he shifted his gaze to the ceiling. "I forgave you for talking in your sleep..." sighing in dismay, as she turned to face him, Nanami nodded. "But I was never in a relationship with Jirou, or Mizuki, and you're more handsome then they are, so it wasn't very serious." Nanami's gaze shifted as a thought crossed her mind. 'But they are alive, at least.'

She crawled on top of him, watching his expression as she spoke. "I know how beautiful Yukiji was... And I know that I couldn't hold a candle to her. I am plain, and weak. I couldn't save myself if I tried, and I have." Tomoe examined her as she spoke. Her eyes had begun to tear up, and he did not know if it was because of him, or her own self image. "Nanami, you are not plain, or weak. You are beautiful." She shook her head. "Why did you even call me over to you? I told you I need to do my homework..." She began to lower herself from the bed, and to the floor.

"Nanami, I can't even remember her." He grabbed her arm, in an attempt to pull her back. "Stop..! Let me go! I don't want to talk anymore..." Ignoring her words, he pulled her into the bed, crawling over her. The robe she had pulled on fell open slightly from the force of landing on the bed. He began to softly kiss her neck. "So what do you want to do?" Pulling on the belt of her robe, the knot came lose, and he began to kiss her chest. Nanami, lay silent, her mind racing from the time she was awoken by him, to the words of Miyuki, on the day they met in the bathroom. 'The only reason a guy like him would want you is your body.'

Tomoe's lips began to dance down her body, and she placed her hand on his chest. "Stop..." Surprised, he brought himself to her lips, kissing her gently. When he pulled back, she stared up at him, her eyes tearing. He began to kiss her neck again, with more force than before. She felt his hand wander inside of her robe, forcing her to moan. Her hand was still on his chest, and her nails dug into his skin. Tomoe bit down on her neck, causing a jolt of pain to shoot through her body. "Just Stop!" Pushing him back, she rolled from under him and onto the floor, kneeling on her feet. "You think that's going to fix everything? Make it seem like nothing happened?" He stared at her wide-eyed.

"Nanami... Don't go." He stepped onto to the ground in front of her, as she grabbed her bag and rose to her feet. She felt intoxicated from his touch, and watched as he extended his hand to her. "My homework..." His arms wrapped around her, as she tried to pull away from him. "Why are you so upset, Nanami? It is not that serious." Unable to answer him, she dropped her head. "It's okay... I just need to spend some time alone right now." With that, she broke free from his embrace, and made her way to the door. As she opened it, she turned to look at him. The moon light illuminated his silhouette, defining the lines of his muscles.

"I'm not upset... Really." With that, she exited the room, Tomoe staring after her. It was obvious that she had just lied to him, and he lay back onto his bed, holding the belt of her robe in his hand.


	47. Chapter 47

_"That didn't work either..."_

"I told you it wouldn't."

_"The school girls, The dream... What more can we do?"_

"Well we could call him back!"

_"Him? You mean-"_

"Yes! Let's go find him now!"

Nanami awoke in a dreadful mood the next morning. She had not spoken to Tomoe anymore that night. She quickly got dressed, and left her room, greeting Mizuki, and Tomoe. He had made a large breakfast for her, and she ended up taking the leftovers with her for lunch. "So are you going to talk to me today, Nanami, Or are you going to continue to give me the silent treatment?" Nanami turned to look at him as they walked to the bus stop. "I'm not giving you the silent treatment... I just haven't thought of anything to say." Tomoe nodded, silently.

After the bus had arrived, they quickly boarded it, opting for two seats in the back. "Nanami, I have been meaning to ask you something..." She tilted her head to the side as he spoke. "What is it?" Tomoe did not respond, He stared straight ahead, and Nanami could have sworn he had blushed for a moment. "Nothing..."

The sun was bright today, providing some much-needed warmth. It was unusual to have a day like this, during autumn, and Nanami cherished every beam of sunlight that shone through the windows. They had arrived at school, still having not said a word. The group of girls that had been pestering Nanami kept their distance. They did not look at her, they did not talk to her, and there were no notes in her locker. Relieved she continued the day, school seemed to pass by faster than usual, and she figured it was because she could finally relax again.

When they had arrived home, Mizuki enthusiastically greeted them. "We have a guest coming today, Nanami!" His grin seemed contagious, and she felt her lips begin to curl. "Oh yeah? Who is it?" "Mikage!"

Her smile dissolved, and a blank look overtook her face. "Mikage is coming today? How do you know that snake?" Tomoe answered before she could, and seemed more angered then excited. "Onikiri and Kotetsu told me!" With that Mizuki walked off saying the place needed to be extra clean. "Why would he come back so soon?" Nanami turned to Tomoe, who narrowed his eyes at her. "I was going to ask you the same thing... First Ryuu, Now Mikage." A smirk curled his lips, and Nanami laughed, playfully pushing him. "I told you I don't know anybody named Ryuu!"

For a second the tension that surrounded them lifted, and Tomoe sarcastically teased her. Until Nanami joked about the night before without thinking it through. "Well, you called Yukiji's name!" The room fell silent, once more, and Tomoe's back stiffened. "Nanami, I told you, I don't know who that is... I can't remember anybody named Yukiji, It was just a dream." Her gaze fell to the floor. "It was more than a dream Tomoe, It was your past..." He seemed irritated by her statement. "I'm going to help the snake clean..." There was an awkward silence between them, until Tomoe, walked away.

'I should have kept my mouth shut... I wonder what he wanted to ask me earlier.'

Hours later there was a knock on the door, everybody already knew who it was, but that still didn't ease the growing anxiety Nanami felt. 'What am I going to say to him?'


	48. Chapter 48

Mizuki answered the door cheerfully. Mikage returned his enthusiasm as he made his way into the shrine. Nanami had hoped Tomoe was beside her when Mikage got back, but he was in the yard instead. "Nanami! It feels as though it's been ages!" He walked over to her, warmly embracing her as he had before. "How has everything been?" "Well, everything has gone well... Tomoe and-" Before she could finish telling him that she and Tomoe were back together, he kissed her deeply, causing her to almost melt as he had before.

"_Mikage_... _What_ are you _doing_?" Tomoe rounded the corner of the shrine. Nanami turned to face him, holding her hands up. "No, Tomoe it's a misunderstanding, he hasn't heard yet."

Mikage interrupted them. "Tomoe is no longer your familiar..?" Nanami shook her head. "But he is still here... Oh my, this is an uncomfortable scene. Nanami I expected you to wait for me..." Nanami turned to him, startled by his words. "Mikage, you left just because Tomoe had a temper tantrum. How could I wait, and not know when you were coming back? Or even if you would? You do have a habit of disappearing..." She dropped her head as she spoke, Tomoe seething with anger behind her. "_A temper tantrum? That is what small children do!_" Nanami shook her head, she could say nothing right today.

"But Nanami, Didn't I please you? Didn't I make you feel comfortable and loved at the same time? I came here for a reason today..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small ring. "I feel that sex outside of marriage is not good enough for you... So, I want to marry you Nanami... " He held the ring to her so she could see it. It was a beautiful shade of gold, and held a bright green stone, surrounded by clusters of small white jewels.

Tomoe's jaw dropped, as Mikage began to fall to one knee. "Nanami, Please do me the Honor, of being my-" Tomoe quickly snatched Nanami's arm and started dragging her away. "Hey! Tomoe, let her go!" Nanami was stunned. She could not move, or think. It took everything she had to keep breathing. This was so unexpected, that she just stood there while he spoke, and now she still did not move while being dragged away, and chased after.

The two men began to argue around her. "You know we are together and you still proposed? What is wrong with you?" "Me? What about you? How long have you been with her? You haven't even considered it? I know how amazing Nanami is, and I may have only had her once, but we are a good pair, right Nami?"  
The two men turned to look at her, but she stood with a blank expression on her face. "Nanami?" They asked in unison, as she began to slowly walk away, in a dazed state. "Wait Nanami, don't walk away from me again..!" Tomoe reached to her, grabbing her wrist and spinning her around. "Nanami, I wanted to ask you today, but I couldn't... Now I have no choice..." He lowered his gaze, and grabbing her other hand as well.

"Please marry me... I promise to always be here for you no matter what. I think I have proven myself to you, and I know we are not on the best of terms right now, but I love you, and I could not imagine you, or myself with anybody else..." She remained mute. "You too?" Was all she said. "Nanami! That's all you say? After I just-" A smile spread across her face, as she peered up at Tomoe. "Are you serious? Or are you just saying that because Mikage proposed?" Tomoe begun to smile back at her. "I am serious... I don't care that he showed up, remember when I told you I had something to ask you? Well..." He shifted his gaze.

"Are you serious?" Mikage frowned at the sight of the two. "Don't you think I'd be better suited?" Tomoe shook his head. Nanami turned to look at him. "Mikage, I like you, but you just left me, knowing how much I needed your company. You don't understand how I felt... It was harder than you would think." Tomoe turned to glare at him. "And the next night she was back in _my_ arms..!" Mikage's jaw dropped. "No doubt it was because of my leaving!"

Narrowing his eyes, a smirk played on Tomoe's lips. "And that same night she released me from my contract..." Mikage peered at Nanami, who nodded in agreement. "Surly you just missed me Nanami..." Mikage leaned back on the wall, watching her as he spoke.

"Of course I missed you, but I also missed Tomoe... I missed you both, because you both were something so special to me, but then you left so suddenly. You must understand that Tomoe has been here every day, and night. You were here for one night, and left as soon as things got negative... But I have to thank you..." Nanami walked to his side, and extended a hand in his direction. "If not for you, I never would have had this confidence in myself. We didn't spend much time together, and our lives barely touched each other but you helped me grow, in a way that I have always needed, and will never forget. You will always be special to me, and you were the first person that showed me kindness, when my life seemed to fall apart... So thank you, Mikage. Please come to our wedding."

Though he had seemed genuinely hurt, a small smile crossed Mikage's face and he nodded. Little did they know, when Onikiri and Kotetsu contacted him, this had been his plan all along. He had known exactly what was happening, and how the couple's relationship was progressing. It had become obvious to him that it would not progress without a shove, and he would be that shove. Taking Nanami's hand, he rose to his feet, and Tomoe, flashed him a victorious smile. "I wish you two the best of luck on your journey together... I will be there."

With that, the three of them walked from the hallway together, Onikiri, Kotetsu, and Mizuki had been listening in, and the agreement brought a feeling of joy. "Nanami let me show you something." Tomoe gently tugged her arm in the direction of his room. As they entered, Tomoe began to rummage through his drawer. "Here it is..." He held a small black box in his hand. "Wear this..." Opening it, her gaze fell on a small ring. It was a light gold color, and it held one square diamond, with two smaller ones on either side of it. "Tomoe... It's beautiful..." Her voice caught in her throat as he slid it onto her finger. 'This is really happening...' The thought echoed in Nanami's mind, and a wide grin spread across her face.

"Nanami, I'm sorry I proposed like this, I planned a more romantic setting, but when Mikage beat me to it, I couldn't help myself..." She nodded. "I don't mind, I'm just happy you were serious... I didn't expect this, but I couldn't be happier."


	49. Chapter 49

The months had been busy as they prepared for the wedding at the shrine. All the disagreements everybody had with each other had been settled. Nanami had to meet with the counsel of the gods, after a small test, and she announced her wedding to them all, as they sat all a large oval shaped table. She received many negative remarks, and baffled expressions, but by the time, she left most of the gods understood and agreed with her; giving her their blessings. It was a difficult thing to explain but the tension in the room dropped when she told them Tomoe was no longer her familiar. The gods arranged a special ceremony for them, one that would bind their fates and lives together, causing Nanami to become a true god, and one with Tomoe. Together they would be gods, and watch over all of the humans who should seek their help.

Now Nanami prepared for the ceremony, in the innermost part of the shrine. She received help from Ami, Kei, and The imperial priestess of the lake with her makeup, and she slipped into the Kimono Mikage had provided her with. It was a simple silk kimono dress, which was a shining white, with an intricate design of black butterflies, her god symbol. Her heartbeat rapidly increased, and her friends attempted to calm her. It was not that she was scared to be married, but that she was afraid of the process. In order to complete the ceremony, she would have to die. She would be reborn, as a true god, but the transition was unnerving. "I'm going to die..!" The girls all waved their hands at her, shaking their heads. "No, Nanami, Don't say that!" Ami's expression had become a startled one. "Don't you think that's a pretty dark thing to be thinking about on your wedding day?" Kei chimed in.

'They just don't understand...' She thought. The priestess strolled to her side. "Do not be nervous, death can be scary but no god, nor human, truly dies we are all made of energy, which cannot be destroyed only transferred. Everybody will always live on... So do not be afraid." Kei and Ami raised their eyebrows at her as she spoke. "Thank you, Priestess" Nanami barely managed to choke the word, and began to tear up. "No! No! Don't cry! The makeup!" Kei lunged at her, and begun shaking her furiously.

An hour later, Nanami was being ushered to the back of the shrine. "Are you ready?" Ami ran out of the door holding her dress as she did so. She returned with Mikage, as the most beautiful music Nanami had ever heard began to play. "Are you ready to give me away?" Mikage nodded, taking a deep breath. She laced her arm through his, and they began the slow walk down the aisle. There was a small crowd of gods, and they all stood, facing her. The sight of Tomoe, in his formal Kimono made her tear up as she approached him. Onikiri tossed flowers in front of her as she walked, and she gazed around as everybody stood, smiling at her. There were a handful of gods, standing off in the corner holding instruments of all sorts. Ami and Kei were the only other humans at the gathering, and she knew that the moment they left, the transition would begin.

They reached the alter, Tomoe smiled coolly at her. Mikage left her side and walked to stand beside Tomoe, and Mizuki. Ami, Kei and the priestess stood by Nanami's side. Tomoe lifted her veil, and she blushed slightly. Ookinushi began to speak the words that would join their fates forever. When it was time for their vows to be spoken, Tomoe gazed deeply into her eyes.  
"Nanami, Our relationship did not start out on the best note, that being said, The more time we spent together, the stronger we grew... We have always been together, through the rough times, and through the easy times. We have fought, and turned away from each other, but one thing we have always found is that we cannot be separated. One without the other is incomplete, similar to the moon. The moon shines so brightly because the sun casts its light upon it, causing it to bring light to the world below. The moon without the sun would be invisible almost nonexistent, and the world below would suffer if the two were not connected. I love you, and I swear to spend the rest of my life with you, for as long as you will have me."

Nanami began to cry softly as he spoke, and she needed to take a moment to calm down before she could speak her vows. "Tomoe, it feels as though we have been together since the beginning of time. You have always protected me, and lifted me up, offering me encouragement when I needed it the most. You brought joy back into my life, and taught me how to truly smile again. I could not imagine a life without you, and will do everything that is possible; to support you the way you have supported me. We watched our love, grow from a seedling and into a beautiful flower, and one day I hope we bear fruit together. You have been the most amazing man to ever grace this world, and I thank you for coming into my life. I promise to always stand behind you, no matter the situation. Your love has warmed my heart, and I will never be cold again as long as you are by my side."

The words had been spoken, and now the deity spoke more conjoining words over the couple. At last, Kotetsu approached them with the ring, and Tomoe gently picked it up from the pillow. "Nanami, do you accept this ring as a symbol of my undying love?" Tomoe's ear cocked to the side as he spoke, causing Nanami to blush. "I do..." Nanami took her ring from the pillow. "Tomoe, do you accept this ring as a symbol of our unity?" He smiled and nodded. "I do."

With that they slipped the rings on each other's fingers both smiling as they did so. "You may now kiss the bride." The small crowd of gods rose to their feet, and clapped, as their lips met, Tomoe wrapped his arms around Nanami's back, and she wrapped hers around his shoulder.

"You are now Man and wife! Congratulations, now let us join together for your last night, Nanami. Everybody moved across the yard, and to a small cluster of tables. One large table in the middle held a small buffet of food. One side for the humans and the other for the god's indulgence, and of course Mizuki's sake.

"The couples toast!" Tomoe smiled charmingly at Nanami, and they held two glasses of sake. "Wrap your arm around mine, and hold the cup to your lips." Mikage stood before them all speaking to the crowd. "We the gods have witnessed this ceremony, and now it is complete, we wish you both good fortune, and long lives filled with naught but happiness. May your days be blessed, and your pains be eased by the comfort of you better half that stands before you now. We bless you." Everybody rose to their feet, and raised their cups, "We bless you." Shimmering light began to fall over Tomoe and Nanami, their cups met in a toast, and they downed their drinks in one. After everybody was done eating and chatting, Nanami and Tomoe danced alone to a mystical song Nanami had never heard before. Tomoe gracefully lead her around the dance floor, and as they finished the wedding was over. Ami, and Kai went home, as it appeared the gods were as well, but that was just the way it appeared, They had no clue what was about to happen to Nanami.


	50. Chapter 50

Night fell over the shrine, and the moon enveloped the world in a dark light. Tomoe and Nanami, were led deep into the forest, and to the other world. The gods circled around a tree, which glowed a deep shade of green. "Okay Nanami, now you need to drink this sake, it will make the transition easier." She nodded as Tomoe spoke to her, the gods from earlier were all present. Nanami drank the sake as quickly as she could.

"Now stand against the tree, beside Tomoe." Mikage motioned to the large trunk of the tree, and Nanami made her way to Tomoe's side. The gods began to chant and sing around her, and a mist fell over the group, clinging to Nanami's skin.

"Why do you awaken me from my slumber?" A massive deity emerged from the tree, and its voice shook the leaves violently as it spoke. A god began to speak "We come to you to bind this human god to this Demon. We ask that you make them into true gods, so they can reside over the land with each other in peace. We also ask your blessing." The Deity nodded. "Yes... I see. Quite an unusual event this is. Human, you are aware you must die?" Nanami nodded. "Yes, I am aware, I only wish to be with Tomoe, I will give my life." The deity chuckled. "Yes, yes, what an odd human. I give you my blessing, for surly this must be a wondrous occasion, and also a joyous day, if all of the gods have come to stand before me, and speak for you." Place your hand on the bark of the tree."

Nanami hesitated for a moment. The alcohol had started to kick in, and she became fearful. She touched the tree, and nothing happened. Relieved she let out a sigh.

"Demon, place your hand on the bark as well, and the other on your wife." Tomoe nodded and did so. "I will transfer your godhood into this demon. This is what you desire right?" They nodded in unison. "It begins." A bright light burst from the tree, and shot into Nanami's hand, through her body, and Into Tomoe's as if they were a circuit. It was a tingling sensation at first, but it grew more intense, causing Nanami to scream. Tomoe, also cried out, but he attempted to remain calm for Nanami's sake. As she screamed, he leaned his body into her, and nuzzled her neck "It... Is... Okay, Na.. Nami..." He spoke through clenched teeth, and her howl died down, as the electric current also begun to dwindle. Tomoe's body became engulfed in a white light, he stared at his hands, and the light enveloped him. It was a warm sensation, and he felt something he had never felt before. Nanami panted, and began to fall to the ground. Tomoe found himself faster than before, and quickly caught her. "Nanami, You do not have to do this if you do not want to... Do not push yourself too far..."

When she caught her breath, she looked up at him. "It's the only way... I'm will die anyway..."

The gods thanked the deity, who did not respond. "Human, are ready?" Nanami stared up into the leaves of the tree. "Yes... I am." "Then it shall be done... Prepare yourself. gods speak your words." Tomoe placed her to the ground, and another cup of sake was pushed her way "Quickly drink this." She downed the cup, and nodded at them. "Now human, you must give your life." The ground began to break underneath her, and Nanami fell into a cold pool of water. "You there, Familiar of the human girl, come forth. You, husband of the god, go to her side, you, Leader of the group step forth and speak your words."

Mizuki ran to Nanami's side, stepping into the cool water. Tomoe also stepped into the water. Mikage stood in front of the gods. "We have all seen the efforts of this human god, and she has fought hard. Now she takes a step further, she will experience what we never have. She will give her life for love, and in return, we will give her life and love. She will die, but she will never be dead, for even if she did, the energy of her soul would never be destroyed. She will become one of us, as she becomes death, and we will bless her in the process. We will lead her to the next life, so she may live happily and peacefully with the one she loves. We bless you, Nanami, and your life with Tomoe." "We bless you," The crowd repeated after Mikage.

"Now Familiar, husband, and gods, you know what you must do. Make it quick and painless."

They all nodded and began to surround her. "Forgive me..." Tomoe murmured into her ear, and Nanami's heart felt as though it would burst through her chest. "Take your last breath, and savor it human." A god called to her. The scent of spices, and greenery filled the air, and Nanami inhaled deeply. "Now, do it as the water begins to light." The deity called. The hands of the gods, Mizuki and Tomoe, shoved Nanami underwater. She thrashed around wildly, as her lungs filled with water, and her nose and lungs began to burn. Choked with nothing but water, she could no longer move. She saw Tomoe shout something, and the hands began to pull away, as he held her down himself. His face ducked into the water, and their lips met one final time before the world started fade away.

"Nanami... Wake up... Nanami..! Nanami!" Her body was being shaken, and a chill ran up her spine, and she began to cough uncontrollably. She was quickly pulled into Tomoe's arm, and he held her tightly in an embrace. "I'm alive?" She held her hands out and stared at them.

Tomoe grasped her tightly. "I was scared..." Was all he said and she gazed up at him lovingly. She wrapped her arms around him, and their lips met. "I don't feel much different..." Nanami rose to her feet, and as she did so she noticed that she was more graceful, she stared down at her body, noticing she had changed. She had a slightly larger chest, and she turned to look at the cold water she had previously been engulfed in, and what she saw terrified her. Her own body lay at the bottom of the pool, completely still. "Me..?" She stepped towards the water, reaching out to herself. Her hand sunk beneath the water, and she grabbed herself, pulling her body near. "This is me... Who am I?" She turned to look at the gods who surrounded her. "You are you, that is just your body." Her body began to dissolve into the water, and her hand could no longer hold on as she disappeared.

"Nanami... You look more mature..." She turned to face Tomoe. "How?" Gazing back into the water, she caught a glimpse of her own reflection. She was still herself, but her eyes had become more serious, her features were more defined, and she had become more beautiful all around. Tomoe knelt beside her. "Let's go back to the shrine now, We have a honeymoon to start." Nanami nodded in agreement. They thanked the gods who showered them with more blessings, and threw various flowers upon them. The deity gave them its blessing once more, and with that, they were off.


	51. Chapter 51

It took a while for Nanami to get used to her new body. She was stronger, faster, and more powerful. Everything she did was with ease, and she felt as though she was a new person.

She and Tomoe left for their honeymoon, on the plain of the gods, leaving Mizuki to take care of the shrine. In the beginning, Kotetsu and Onikiri had planned to separate them, but they had persistently worked to keep their relationship alive, and their efforts were not in vain.

They had a passionate night together, enveloped in one another's warmth. It seemed as if they were inseparable, and they had no more quarrels. The ceremony had joined more than their fates, but also their minds and they fully understood one another. At times Nanami would say things that Tomoe was thinking, or vice verse. Nanami had never seen Tomoe smile the way he did now. Sex held sensations they had never felt now, more than anything they felt a form of intimacy, a bond they could not explain. Every time their eyes met, a new wave of passion swept over them casting them deeper in love then they had ever thought possible. They held each other all night when they were finished, lazily chatting back and forth, their fingers laced together. "Tomoe?" His ear cocked to the side as he shifted his gaze down to her. Her head was leaned on his chest indulgently. "Hm?"

"You smell good... It smells as I remember but it is more intense now... I can't explain it." He chuckled. "That's because you have surpassed your human senses, Nanami. When we get back to the shrine, I will teach you how to use your skills." She nodded in response, sighing deeply.

Months had passed since that night, and Nanami found she could do many more things now. She was amazed at what Tomoe taught her, and she had also received some good news. She had become pregnant, with a baby girl. The doctor said she had fox ears forming on her head, and Nanami, and Tomoe were excited to meet their daughter.

Mizuki had met a woman he was interested in and they were dating on a regular basis now. Mikage stopped by the shrine occasionally to check on Nanami, and her pregnancy. Most importantly, Nanami and Tomoe were always together. The never seemed to grow tired of each other, and could often be seen sitting on the roof, watching the moon rise, or set.

Tomoe would occasionally rub her stomach, and talk to the baby, which made Nanami chuckle every time. "Do you think she can hear me?" His ear cocked to the side. "I'm positive she can, every time you start talking, she kicks me." Laughing Nanami laid back into Tomoe's arms. "I don't know if that's good though, maybe she hates you, or something." She raised an eyebrow at him and he softly chuckled. "Or maybe she hates you, and is trying to get to me." They laughed together, and Nanami reached her arms behind herself, draping them over Tomoe's back. "Let's do our best raising her... The doctor said she has your ears..." This news excited Tomoe, and his tail twitched underneath him. "Really?"

Occasionally Tomoe would forget how Nanami felt about him smoking near her while she was pregnant, and she would throw a pillow at him, demanding he moved outside. He did not mind though. He had never felt so relaxed, and happy before. He felt as though he finally had a real home, and family, and the feeling was something he could barely remember when they started their life together.

They would talk, and also enjoy the silence together, as both were comfortable to them. Nanami did not need regular food anymore, but some mornings, Tomoe would still cook for her. He expressed his love for her in different ways every day, and she did the same. They took turns fulfilling the prayers of the guests that came to the shrine, and it seemed as if every day the number steadily increased. Nanami continued to write in her diary on a regular basis, and Tomoe would write notes to her in her book. It was always a pleasant surprise to flip though the pages, and see a short message written in his perfect handwriting. Her handwriting had improved as well… But not really. While she had become skilled in many different areas, there were still times that she messed up. She would still slip, or stumble occasionally, but Tomoe was always there to catch her.

Just as her mother had once told her when she was a child, her family could only give birth to a single baby girl, but Nanami had broken away from her family habit of always picking bad men. They planned to one day show their daughter their book, excluding any adult details of course, and encourage her to write one as well. Life continued, and they lived in bliss, if any problems or threats arose, they took care of it together, and they were the best team to ever grace the world.


End file.
